James Potter
by Sam Storsky
Summary: "Leave her ALONE!" A deep voice boomed. Bright blue light hit Severus and he fell to the ground. I sighed in relief and stepped closer to my savior. He came out of the shadow, and the moonlight revealed the unmistakable hazel eyes. It was James Potter!
1. Lose One, Gain One

**James Potter

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Chapter 1: Lose One, Gain One

_"That filthy MUDBLOOD!"_

The voice of my ex-friend rang through my head. Severus Snape, my best friend for the last five years, called me the _unforgivable_ word while he was hanging upside down by the ankle because of James Potter. I tried to defend Severus, and help him, but he was _embarrassed_ and called me _that word_ in front of pretty much the _entire_ school. To make matters worse, James Potter started to defend to me and told Severus to apologize, but Severus refused and then I left, pretty close to tears.

James Potter plays pranks on me and annoys me, ever since Day 1, almost 6 years ago. He _played_, now I realize, harmless pranks on me that sometimes reduced to me to tears, but later on, I had a nice laugh about it. Now sitting here, thinking, Potter is better than Severus. I will never look back on this day and laugh.

However, the one thing that Potter did that always annoyed me is the countless times he's asked me out. I always decline because I know he isn't _really_ in to me. He just wants to prove that he can go out with any girl he wants. He's after me for the chase. I don't fall for his charm like every other girl in the school did. It was me and Mary, my best friend. But, Mary fell for Sirius later this year. He used to be a womanizer, but for some reason, for the last few months, he's been normal. He's decline dozens of girls and hasn't gone out with anyone since February.

I stared into the fire, as I have been for a while. Looking at the clock, I realize it's about 1. An empty feeling overcomes me as I realize, I'm all alone. This feeling was horrible and dark and I want nothing more than for it go away. I wish Mary was here, so I could talk to her about it, but I asked her to take over my Prefect duties today because I wasn't really feeling up to it. The common room door creaked open and I turn around as Mary stepped through the door.

"Lils, Severus is outside the common room. He's threatening to _sleep_ out there unless you go talk to him. And I don't think our fellow Gryffindors will fancy having that slimy git there all night." Mary told me nervously.

I sighed. I probably should've expected this. The prick would want to be forgiven. "I suppose I could go talk to him then." I replied and got up.

"I'm going to go sleep… I'm really tired. Lupin said he was feeling a sick and he couldn't patrol either, so I was out alone just walking around for hours. And you know I haven't gotten proper sleep in a long time. I'm really sorry. I'll talk to you tomorrow." Mary said apologetically.

"It's alright, Mary. Thanks for filling for me today. I really appreciate it. Get some sleep." I told her sincerely. Mary smiled, mumbled a 'good night' and went up to our dorm. I took a deep breath and slowly walked out the common room, wondering what would come in the next few minutes.

Severus was right there. Like seriously _right there_. His eyes seemed to have been glued to the door the entire time, waiting for me to come out. His black eyes met my green and they lit up. Well, only as much as black eyes could light up.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it!" Severus blurted out. "I never meant to call you a you-know-what!"

"I don't want to hear it." I replied icily. I wasn't going to take anything from him. He _would not_ be forgiven.

"Lily..!" He protested.

"You did what you did. You chose to go to _that_ side. The haters of 'my type'. You've chosen your way, with your 'friends'. You guys are all going to go and join You-Know-Who as Death Eaters." I yelled at him. In a much softer voice I said, "My other friends always wondered why I talk to you. I'm not sure I believe the reasons I gave them anymore."

"Lily, please!"

"I don't want to hear it, Severus."

"Lily-" His eyes turned red for the slightest second and I backed up a little.

"I. Don't. Want. To. Hear. It." I spat at him, regaining my courage. Couldn't he understand I wasn't going to give him another chance? Even angrier, I said, "Now, leave." His eyes widened and I thought for a second he was going to accept defeat and leave. Instead, he stepped closer. His eyes were now bloodshot red and his top lip curled.

"I'm not going anywhere." he replied with a sadistic smile. His eyes were wide, and rather delusional. Was this what he was like in the inside? I think I know why he was placed in Slytherin. I stepped back more, and my back hit the wall. I hastily felt around in my robes for my wand. Severus was curiously looking at me and he pulled out his own wand. I kept searching. _There was nothing there._ I froze. I left my wand in my dorm. I searched his eyes, trying to find mercy, and only found an unfamiliar glare. It looked like it wanted to kill. My heart started pounding against my chest and I tried to calm myself down, so Severus wouldn't realize I was intimidated. His thin, red lips curved into a twisted smile and he stepped closer, pushing me further into the wall. Was he really going to hurt me? His eyes looked like it wanted death. His wand, which was centimeters away from my throat, was _definitely_ ready to kill.

"Severus...please..." His smile simply grew wider with the victory. I, his prey, was begging for mercy.

"Leave her ALONE!" A deep voice to the right of us boomed. A jet of bright blue light hit Severus and he crumpled to the ground. I let out a sigh of relief and stepped closer to my savior. He stepped out of the shadow, and the moonlight revealed the unmistakable hazel eyes behind the wire-rimmed glasses. It was _James Potter!_

"Evans, are you alright?" He asked, running a hand through his hair.

"Potter?" I whispered in surprise. My mind was whizzing with thoughts. What was he doing here, so late at night? And he saved me from Severus. And where were his friends? He stepped closer and the moonlight revealed bright red gash in his cheek. "Potter, what happened to you?" I gasped, surprising myself. This was James Potter. We didn't even call each other by our first names. He was an arrogant toe rag. Then again, Potter had changed a lot in the last few weeks, even if just this afternoon he taunted Severus for fun.

"Never mind that. We need to get inside. Old Snivellus there won't stay frozen for long." I was surprised all he did was freeze him. I figured, that with an excuse, he might've wanted to stun him. We went through the portrait hole into the empty common room and sat down on the maroon couch opposite the fire. My breathing started to become more strained as I recollected everything that happened in the last five minutes. Severus' eyes, Potter coming to save me. I covered my face with my hands, the images still flashing before my eyes. I felt a large, warm hand on my shoulder and Potter moving closer. "Evans? What happened…? Tell me, it'll make you feel better." he whispered. His voice was caring, soft and comforting. It was nothing similar the conceitedness and arrogance his voice was usually full of. I looked up into his eyes. His eyes, which looked absolutely beautiful in the fire, seemed caramel now, and made me want to melt into his arms. Could this really be the James Potter I'd known for so long? The one I called an arrogant toerag in front of the whole school just a few _hours_ ago? His concerned gaze was undeniably sincere. I realized that recently, he had been a lot nicer and more responsible. With the exception of this afternoon, of course. But tonight, he was my savior. Here he was, right next to me, at about 1:30 at night after saving me from the terror of my ex-friend. And I was sitting right next to him, not moving away because he was touching me. Was I starting to return those feeling he had for me? I pushed these thoughts away and decided to open up to him a little.

"It's Severus..." I began slowly, to catch my breath.

"Oh…_him_…" He said, and his nose crinkled a little. I ignored this and continued.

"He was my best friend, ever since _before_ Hogwarts. He told me everything about the magical world. He was the one who told me I was a witch. I thought that he wasn't like the rest of the idiots in his house. I knew the vermin he called friends called me those types of things, but I never thought I'd hear it coming from him…and in front of so many people…" I said, spilling everything. It was surprising how easily I could trust him, even after the last five years. And his hand was still on my shoulder…it felt nice, rather warm, actually. _Stop it, Lily. James. Potter. Remember? Arrogant Toerag?_ I pushed these thoughts out of my head…he was a human being, he showed me that in the last few minutes, so he could change, right? I looked at James again. His gaze was strong, and just looking into them made me feel loads better.

"Evans, it's going to be alright. He got what he deserved. And I suppose it's sort of my fault too, for provoking him." He looked down, suddenly becoming interested in his shoes. I stared. Was James Potter, Quiddtich extraordinaire, pranking master, taking the blame for something? And did he regret what he did? Change…it didn't seem so far off for him anymore. The idea of him changing was, now, _definitely_ possible.

"No, don't be crazy, it's not your fault. I'm glad I found what he calls me behind my back." I said breathlessly. I still couldn't believe this was James Potter. A thought struck me. Was there a side of him I never saw? What if he was always like this? Like around his friends? Maybe the arrogance and confidence was just a mask he was putting out to everyone else!

"It's going to be okay. Now, it's time for therapist James." He said, smiling as he wiped a tear from my cheek. I sat up, surprised by the warmth of his finger. It felt so smooth and I felt butterflies in my stomach. I didn't think I'd ever catch myself getting _butterflies_ because of **James Potter**.

"Therapist?" I said, tilting my head.

"Yup. Is there anything that reminds you of him? Any material things? A gift possibly?" He asked, simply staring into my eyes. It momentarily made me forget who we were talking about.

"Oh, um…Uh, yeah…" I stammered. I could feel my cheeks turning slightly red. I pulled out a necklace from one of my pockets. "He gave me this on my birthday last year. Of course nothing compared to the 'Happy Birthday Lily' banner in the Great Hall" I said smirking, remembering the Marauder's gift.

"Of course, I doubt you'd ever received a better gift." He said, remembering the gift, too. "Now, come with me." He took my hand, which was warm and soft and I felt myself turn redder. It was quickly forgotten when we moved closer to the fire. "Now throw it in." He instructed me.

"What?" I asked incredulously. I searched his eyes for any signs of joking, but there were none.

"Throw it in."

"Potter, don't you think it's slightly _crazy_?" He couldn't be serious, right?

"Just do it." He urged me. I shrugged my shoulders. What would I lose?

"Alright…" I threw the necklace in.

"Now watch it burn…" Potter told me. I watched the green metallic flowers of the necklace burn and stared into the fire until the entire necklace was reduced to ashes. Suddenly, I felt better, like something in me died. I felt _free_.

"Wow." I said. "It actually kind of _worked_." I told him, completely surprised. Well, not _completely_. Looking at fire, controlling fire, I found it pretty soothing. That's why I always sit in front of the fire when I'm stressed.

"That's _my _therapy." He said, giving me a goofy, lopsided smile that suddenly, looked a lot better, now that the arrogance was out of it.

"_Your_ therapy? What could you possibly need therapy for?" I asked, more joking than anything. But surprisingly, he answered.

"Now Evans, do you think it's actually _easy_ for me to handle every one of your rejections? I find ways every time to cope with it. This is number 56. I have 83 of them." He told me casually, his face straight as he ruffled the black mop on his head he called hair. Whoa. Okay, didn't see that coming.

"Well, I wouldn't have to reject you so often if you kept asking all the time…" I stammered. Was he really serious? I searched his face, but it remained straight and his eyes were _sad_, no longer lit up_._ "So where are Remus, Sirius, and Peter?" I asked, to change the subject. I couldn't look at his strained expression anymore.

"Uh. They're fine." He said, fidgeting. I raised an eyebrow. I said _where._ I was about to ask the question again, but he interrupted.

"So Evans, are you coming to the Slytherin versus Gryffindor Quidditch final tomorrow?" He asked eagerly.

"Of course. You better crush Slytherin. I need to see the look on Snape's face tomorrow." I said, smiling at the thought. But then I realized, I said _of course_. I pretended to hate Quidditch for the last few years because Ja-I mean Potter loved it. I thought he'd stop pursuing me if he knew that I hated the one thing he couldn't possibly live with out.

"Evans, anything for you." He said, smiling sincerely.

"It's really late…I'm going to go sleep. I haven't had any decent sleep since December, I had to study for OWL's, you know?" I laughed and got up. Jam-Potter did the same. It's getting harder to call him Potter…

"That does sound like you, Evans." I rolled my eyes and started walking towards my dorm and turned around.

"Potter?" He looked up. "You've really changed, haven't you? I think I'm going to start calling you James again." I said, surprised at my own words. I haven't called him James since first year, before I learned how much of a jerk he could be. His face lit up like a Christmas tree and I felt unusually happy, knowing that I was the reason for it.

"Then I will start calling you Lily again. It's much prettier than Evans anyway." He said, ruffling his hair again. I smiled and felt my face grow hot, glad it was too dark for him to see.

"Good night, _James_." I said.

"Night, _Lily_." He said, winking. I walked up the stairs to my dorm, with butterflies in my stomach. I can't believe it, but it's possible, that in about a half an hour, I just _might_ fancy James Potter.

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A/N: I'm glad people already started reading my stories! I usually update on Wednesdays...so keep watching out for them! Please review if you can!

**This is an edited version. I thought I'd go back and fix some of the chapters. They weren't my best work. No information is added that wasn't there before. **

Sam Storsky


	2. Quiddtich Final

Chapter 2: Quidditch Final

I woke up early the next morning. Remembering the events from the day before, I smiled to myself. I lost a friend and gained a better.

"Morning, Lily." Mary said as she got dressed.

"Mary! You'll never guess what happened last night after you left!" I described the events, full detail, from the night before and the conversation I had with James.

"Wow. You know, you guys are perfect for each other, you just don't know it yet. But when you do, can I be the Maid of Honor for your wedding?" I rolled my eyes at this and went to take a shower.

We went to the Great Hall together for breakfast. We walked through the large, brass double doors and scoped out a place on the Gryffindor table to sit.

"Evans!" I turned around to see Sirius Black waving us over. That wasn't normal. Then again, James probably told him _all_ about last night. "Prongs here is having his pre-match worries. Calm him down, will ya?" So James _did_ tell Sirius and the others about what happened last night.

"Is it okay with you, Mary?" I asked, already knowing the answer. Mary would do anything to get near Sirius Black. Even I had to admit, he was definitely very good-looking. His grey eyes never seemed to be dull and his brown hair rivaled the length of Snape's but it wasn't greasy. It looked so _soft_ and made you want to reach out and touch it.

"Are you crazy? Of course!" Mary said, practically skipping to the table. She took a seat next to Sirius, who was next to James and I sat on the other side of James.

"Hi James." I took a piece of bread and started nibble on it. I raised an eyebrow when he didn't say anything. He was too busy hyperventilating to eat or talk. I touched his arm and he looked at me.

"Lily!. uh..hi..stay above everyone, casually, dive, lean forward.." He muttered, ruffling his hair.

"What?" He really did go crazy whenever these matches happened, didn't he?

"Sorry, I'm going over strategies in my head." he said. Then he went back to muttering to himself. Obsessive, isn't he?

"James, you're going to do great! The Slytherins won't stand a chance. Eat something. You need energy!" I urged him.

"Alright…" He took the bread I offered him.

"Evans, you could be a saint. No one's ever gotten James to eat before a Quidditch match. _EVER!_" Sirius said, staring at me with wide eyes.

"I have to go do some last minutes warm-ups and go over strategies with the team!" He adjusted his captain badge, ruffled his hair, motioned the others on the team to get up and took off. I stared until he was out of sight.

"Really cares about his Quidditch, doesn't he?" I slid down next to Sirius and finished eating my breakfast.

"Loves it almost as much as he loves you, Evans." he said. Mary giggled and I rolled my eyes and started talking to Remus about the OWL's and school plans for later and beyond. I was glad he was here, he was a good friend of mine, being a prefect with me. Soon, Peter joined us. He was limping and gingerly sat down.

"Okay there, Wormtail?" Remus asked.

"Yeah. Still a little rough from yesterday." He replied. Peter was always the odd one out of the Marauders. The rest of them were good-looking guys who were the best pranksters the school has ever seen. Peter seemed to be the tag-along, but the other three didn't really seem to mind having him around. He was pretty good at magic, and seemed like a good and loyal friend. He did help them in most of their large pranks and landed detention almost as often as James and Sirius.

"Same." Sirius said, as he rubbed his shoulder. Remus side-glanced at me and Mary and didn't say anything.

"Right. James came to the Common Room with a huge gash on his cheek…What happened?" I asked, curious if there was any connection. They didn't seem too eager to say anything straight out, but maybe they'd let something slip?

"Uh..nothing.." Remus muttered. Or not. He looked at Sirius. But, something didn't seem right. I knew there was a connection. I'd have to investigate that further…

"Oh! Look at the time! It's time for the final! Come on!" My eyes narrowed in suspicion when Sirius got up and started limping a little, too. I shrugged it off for now and followed Mary, Sirius, Remus and Peter to the Quidditch Pitch.

"Gryffindor scores again! Score's 100-80, Gryffindor!" The commentator's booming voice yelled over the cheers of the Gryffindors. I looked at James. There was so much concentration and determination on his face. I looked around to see Severus' lips pursed. He was giving James a death glare and I laughed to myself. I looked up in time to see James dodge a Bludger hit by one of the Slytherin beaters.

"Oooh. Nice dodge by the Gryffindor captain! Oh, but Slytherin scores again, to tie the score 100-all!"

"Come on James, find the snitch..." I whispered to no one in particular. I looked at the Marauders, who were jumping up and down in their seats, despite their injuries, cheering James on.

"Oh! Potter looks like he found something!" I whipped my head around to see James in a magnificent dive, his left arm stretched out.

"Come on JAMES!" I screamed along with the rest of the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws. I leaned forward and saw that James caught the snitch. He landed neatly on the ground and held the Snitch up.

"WE WON!" Sirius' voice boomed over everyone else's. I've always wondered how he managed to speak that loudly _all the time_. He grabbed Mary and pulled her into a kiss. He pulled away from her stunned face and said, "Mary, will you go out with me?" Laughing she said,

"Yes, Sirius!"

"YES! I WON!" Sirius screamed. Mary and I laughed even more.

"_JAMES!_" a female voice screeched in terror. I looked to the Quidditch Pitch in terror. James was knocked to the ground, holding his arm. Mary, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and I raced down to the pitch, with most of the Gryffindors behind us. We got to him and formed a circle around him.

"Mate, what happened? Are you okay?" Sirius asked him, kneeling down next to him.

"I'm fine...arm's just broken. It was Lucius Malfoy. It's his last Quidditch Final, so naturally he was pretty upset about losing. He took the beaters bat, and hit the bludger at my arm." He said, poking at his arm. I swatted it away. He should know by now NOT to poke at a broken arm.

"MALFOY! WHERE IS THAT BLONDE GIT!" Sirius boomed. Still I had no idea how he managed to talk that loud over everyone saying 'James, are you okay?' all at once and the Professors trying to figure out what happened.

"Padfoot, don't hurt him. I have a better idea!" Remus said with an evil smile. He pointed his wand at Malfoy and muttered something. A bright, flashing red and gold sign appeared above his head. It read, "LOSER" Mary and I burst out laughing. It was always a mystery to me how they managed to such bad things with their magic. If only they used their powers for more meaningful purposes…

"Nice Moony." James said with an easy laugh. His arm was _broken_, for Merlin's sake, and he was just sitting her _laughing_ as though it were daily business? Madame Promfrey came running towards us and pushed through the crowd.

"Potter, which arm?" She said, almost bored. James held out his left arm. She waved her wand and muttered something.

"Thanks, Madame Promfrey." She smiled at him.

"Congratulations, Potter." She said as she left. The circle also disappeared, realizing that their hero was safe and Malfoy was avenged.

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"Guys, come on. Party in Gryffindor Common Room!" Sirius shouted as most of the Gryffindors left the Great Hall after dinner. Well, there's the source of the parties. I guess it wasn't all James as I assumed it was before. We all followed Sirius back to the Gryffindor Common Room. All of the Gryffindors were in the common room and started clapping when they saw James enter. I couldn't tell if he liked the attention or not. I used to assume he loved all of the attention. But now, I wasn't so sure. I stared at his face, to see if there were any signs of modesty or conceitedness. His expression was impossible to read, it just looked like he was smiling, like he was _really, really_ happy.

"Let the party begin!" Sirius boomed. With a flick of his wand, music started and a disco ball appeared in the middle of the room. Disliking all of the excitement, I went by the fireplace and started reading a book. A half an hour later, James came and sat next to me on the couch.

"Hi, Lily." he said. His eyes were twinkling and he was smiling broadly. I realized he actually never stopped smiling ever since Gryffindor won the Final.

"Hey James. Glad you knocked out Slytherin. I couldn't get enough of Snape's face." I said, remembering the thought of Snape's thin lips pursing as he left with the rest of his to-be Death Eaters.

"So Lily, this weekend's a Hogsmeade weekend." He said, completely changing the subject.

"Yeah." I replied, having an idea about where this was going. He was going to ask me out again. But what was I going to say?

"So I was wondering...Will you go with me?" He muttered. "Like um..on a date.." He added quickly. He turned a little red and started ruffling his hair again. He seemed to do that whenever he was nervous. Pushing that observation out of my head, I started to consider what he just asked. Should I go with him? I remember what he said last night about getting over every one of my rejections. Did he really mean it? Was he really in to me? Maybe he was... I could give him a chance. After all, he's definitely changed, hopefully?

"Alright James. I'll go with you." I smiled, _really_ hoping I made the right decision.

"Wait. What?" He looked at me with confused eyes. He seemed utterly nonplussed. I smiled, trying to contain my laugh.

"I said I'll go with you." I replied calmly, but taking in EVERY aspect of his face. His eyes bulged out and his face turned red. And he smiled, wide, really _wide_. It was _priceless_.

"Wow, really? Wow. 5 years Lily, 5 years. It took 5 years. Wow. Finally. I can't believe this. Wow." He said, his eyes were even brighter than before, his face was red, and his smile looked even bigger, if that was possible. I laughed. After a while of taking everything in and staring at me for almost five minutes straight, he asked, "Aren't you going to join the party?"

"No, I don't really like all the excitement." I told him truthfully. These types of parties weren't really what I enjoyed. I preferred quiet.

"Oh. Well, why don't we give it a try for once?" He asked me, still goofily smiling. He stood up and held out his hand. I sighed and put down my book.

"Alright, James. Let's give it a shot." Wait, what was I _doing_? I don't _dance_! He led me on to the dance floor and suddenly a slow song started playing.

"This one's for the captain that lead us to victory _and his looveee_" Sirius' voice boomed as he changed the song. Sirius smirked at us, and started dancing with Mary.

"Well, so much for laying low." I said quietly to him as a crowd started to form around us.

"It's alright. It doesn't matter what they think. This is for us." He said, whispering so only I could hear. That really had to be the most beautiful thing I'd heard anyone say. Ever. Is this really James Potter? He wrapped his hands around my waist and I put my arms around his neck. Is this really James Potter? We swayed to the music and I stared into his eyes. I lost myself in the hazel and his intense gaze. He no longer had that large, goofy smile he wore a few minutes ago. He now had a small, content smile that warmed my blood. I guess I had to accept, maybe there was a side of him I never really saw.

"You know James, you've really changed." I said after a long silence, still staring into his eyes.

"Lily, I haven't change at all. It must be you." He said, still never averting his gaze.

"That is possible. Or maybe you're just showing me sides of you I've never seen before. When I used to think of James Potter, I thought of arrogance. When I thought of arrogance, I used think of James Potter. Now, those words don't seem to relate at all." I said, my voice trailing off. His mouth twitched into a crooked smile that made heart skip a beat.

"So now what do you think of _now _when you think of James Potter?" he asked slowly.

"Well…" I hesitated. I looked up into his eyes and spoke what I saw. "I think of sweet…kind…caring…and a hell of a savior, therapist, and seeker." I finished with a laugh. I looked around and saw that there were barely any people left in the Common Room. How much time had passed? Now, it was just Remus, Peter, Mary and Sirius, me and James and a few other people.

"Completely deserted common room. And it's only about 11. Right after a party, too. Weird." James said, looking around. We moved near the desks. We made sure to stay away from Mary and Sirius, who were going for a full-fledged make-out right in front of the fireplace. Remus and Peter looked at each other and left the common room too. Suddenly, James yawned really loudly.

"Are you tired? How early did you wake up today?" I asked, figuring he would wake up pretty early before his big day.

"Oh, not too early…Just a half hour earlier than usual, at 4:30" He said nonchalantly. My eyes widened.

"4:30? Not early? You usually wake up at 5? To do what?" I asked. What could he possibly do that early? Breakfast didn't start until 7…What did he do awake for two whole hours?

"I work out..." He said in a small voice and looked down at his hands.

"You work out?" I repeated, not comprehending.

"Yeah…for Quidditch. And because I want to be an Auror, I need to keep in shape, too." He said. Merlin, maybe girls, quidditch and pranks weren't all that was on his mind.

"Wow. That's really…admirable." I finished. It was amazing how much of a work ethic he has. Turns out he isn't such a bad person after all. Maybe I was wrong…My gaze moved down to his arms. He always did have larger muscles than being a seeker required him. What did his stomach muscles look like, then…?

"Thanks." He said, interrupting my hormonal thoughts. He got up. "Well, I'm going to go sleep. I'll see you tomorrow, Lily." I got up, too. "Goodnight, Lily." I brought my face closer to his ear.

"Goodnight, James." I whispered. I gave him a kiss on the cheek and went up stairs to my dorm. I reached my bed and slipped under my covers, hugging them around me. I went over everything that happened that night. From James asking me out, to accepting, to dancing with him, then kissing him on the cheek. I remembered the way his arms went around my waist and I felt butterflies in my stomach. James made me feel the way no other guy ever made me feel. Even though Sirius and Mary joke about us getting married and other stuff like that, but it really does feel like he loves me. I suppose making the decision to go to Hogsmeade with him wasn't bad after all.

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**A/N: That concludes the second chapter, I hope you enjoyed it! I know I said I update on Wednesdays, however, due to free time, I was able to write the new chapter fairly quickly. I know these two chapters have been a little boring, but I assure you, the next ones will be filled with adventure!**

**Sam Storsky**


	3. Almost There

DISCLAIMER: As much as I would love to wake up and be her, I'm not JK Rowling and do not (sadly) own anything you recognize.

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Chapter 3: Almost There

My eyes fluttered open and I almost groaned out loud. I _hated_ waking up in the morning during the weekend. I look at my watch on my nightstand. It read six o'clock. Why did I wake up so early? I slept so late! I suppose it was habit by now, to wake up at this time, so I had an hour to get ready, eat breakfast and go to my first class.

Looking around, I saw everyone else in my dorm was still fast asleep. I threw the covers off myself, got up off my bed, and went to the window. Our dorm window had the perfect view of the east, so we could see the sun rise everyday if we wanted. I looked down at the Quidditch Pitch and thought of James. He did say he worked out every day. Knowing him, he would be near the Quidditch Pitch. Sure enough, there was a figure jogging around the Pitch. The black mop was unmistakable. It was definitely James. I smiled to myself and watched him a bit more. He seemed so _concentrated._ It was apparent from all the way up here. He took off his shirt and my heart jumped. His arm muscles were so _big_. I wanted nothing more right now than to run my hand across them. My heart started pounding against my chest as I imagined it. His bare chest so close to me…I couldn't help but stare at his stomach area, wondering how strong his abs were. I was pulled out of my reverie when James abruptly stopped jogging and just stood facing towards the castle. His eyes darted all over the castle. Finally they laid my window. I pulled myself away from the window. Did he see me? It wasn't exactly possible…Or was it? If I could see him, then maybe he could see me. After all, my red hair was very vibrant. Maybe he didn't see me. Or maybe he'll just think he imagine it. Glancing back at my wrist watch, I felt my face grow hot as I realized I'd been watching James for over a half an hour. I looked back out the window and saw James heading back towards the castle. But his eyes kept darting back to my window. I backed away from it completely. Deciding it was late enough, I took my clothes and went to go take a shower. I couldn't help but to think of James the entire time.

When I came back into the dorms, Mary was sitting still on her bed, already dressed and ready to go to breakfast.

"Hey, Lils." She said as I stood up right in front of her.

"Hi Mary. So how was your night with Sirius?" I said, smirking. She hit me with the pillow.

"It wasn't like that!" She screeched. "So how about you and James?" She asked, now enjoying herself. I felt myself turn red.

"Oh…it's uh…nothing…" I muttered, looking at my hands. I could practically hear Mary smiling at me.

"It was nothing, Lil? So you call a _romantic_ slow dance and a kiss on the cheek nothing?" I cursed under my breath. How did she find out? I thought she'd been too busy snogging Sirius senseless.

"How'd you find out?" I asked in defeat.

"Sirius and I didn't snog the _entire_ time." She said, raising an eyebrow. We spent a lot of time talking about you guys…how perfect you are for each other…and how you realized it, now that Snape's out of the way…" She answered. I shuddered when I heard Snape's name. That prick. I really hated him.

"Yeah…I'm just glad I know what he thinks of me. It's a shame to know he's joined his Death Eater friends." I said morosely.

"Well, why don't we go down for breakfast. We have a long day ahead of us with Sirius and James…" She said, practically singing. I laughed as I followed her downstairs. It was quite a sight to see her practically skipping. We reached the bottom of the stairs when I finally caught up with her.

"Merlin Mary, slow down." I said, breathing heavily.

"Well, Lily, maybe you should move quicker!" She told me and we burst out laughing.

"You know Mary, we have to promise each other, that even though we now have a man, in your case, a boy, in our lives, we should stick together." I said. It wasn't an option to lose Mary. We've been best friends since first year. She was like the sister I never had. Rather, actually wanted.

"Of course Lils. Just one thing. SIRIUS IS NOT A BOY! HE IS A MAN. A STRONG, HOT MAN!" She screamed, and then ran out of the common room, laughing. I chased her all the way until the Great Hall. We sat down at our regular seats and tried to find the Marauders. They were nowhere in sight.

"They probably decided to sleep in." I suggested. We ate our regular breakfast of eggs and muffins, and left to contemplate what to do for the rest of the day. We weren't supposed to go to Hogsmeade until about twelve. It was only seven thirty. We came to the poster of the Fat Lady and just then, Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter were coming out of the portrait.

"Hi Mary!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Good Morning, Sirius." She replied, with a grin.

"Evans! My favorite girl!" Sirius said, side-glancing at James as he came to hug me. I pushed him away jokingly.

"Sirius, you haven't showered yet. Don't come any closer." I warned. Knowing him, he probably only took showers to wash his hair!

"I have!" James exclaimed as he came closer to me. He stuck his tongue out at Sirius when I hugged him. Sirius fake-pouted and Mary came over to him.

"It's okay Sirius, I don't mind lack of hygiene like those two!" She said wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Good Morning, Lily." James said sweetly. His arms were around my lower back, and they were, as I saw this morning, _very_ strong indeed. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Peter and Remus leave. I figured they were feeling a little abandoned and decided to go down to breakfast by themselves.

"Hi James." I said, blushing. His gaze was so intense. I couldn't break away.

"Meet me near the gold statue? 12 o'clock?" He whispered.

"Sure." I said smiling.

"Oi! Mate. You have the entire day with her. Let's go eat breakfast!" Sirius said, as he broke James away from me. Mary and I laughed more as Sirius practically dragged James down the stairs as he waved goofily.

"Mary, where did we find these two?" I asked.

"Lily, we're just lucky like that." She replied. I heard a loud, impatient sigh. I realized we were still standing outside the Fat Lady's portrait. She was waiting for the password.

"Er..right, sorry. Nivellus Octovia." I said guiltily.

"About time…" She muttered as the door swung open. We sat down on the couches.

"So Lily, what are you going to wear?" Mary asked.

"What?" I replied. I haven't given a thought about what I was going to wear, I really didn't care, honestly.

"Well you can't just go on your first date _ever_ wearing school robes, you know." She said smiling.

"I know, I know…" I said. What _was_ I going to wear? I've never been on a date before. James usually scared them all away.

"It's okay Lily, let Magic Mary do the trick!" She said, getting up.

"Wait, now? We don't have to meet the guys for another four hours! Can't we sit by the lake or something until then?" I begged.

"Alright, fine. But we're coming right back up here at 10:30, okay?" She bargained.

"Okay." I said, as we got up to leave the common room.

* * *

After spending three hours by the lake, and taking a nice, long walk with Mary, we were back in the dorms. My stomach started doing back-flips, front-flips, and everything of the sort. The only time I remember being more nervous was the morning right before the O.W.L.'s started!

"Lily, it's going to be fine." Mary reassured me. She seemed to sense my uneasiness. "You and James are perfect for each other. It's all going to go fine. Just go with the flow and everything will be fine." She instructed. I was getting sick of hearing the word 'fine'. She finished painting my nails on my right hand. They were bright red, to match my fiery hair. She began working on my left hand.

"What am I going to wear?" I asked. I realized I had nothing really _good_ to wear.

"Oh, we're going to go simple. James seems to like you how you are." She replied dismissively.

"Which is…?" Simple was good. I could live with simple. I just hoped she didn't expect me to wear any sandals. I liked my sneakers. She finished painting my nails and then dried them off with her wand.

"Oh, nothing. Just a plain green shirt that matches your eyes, black jeans, and we'll make your sneakers green." She said. I grinned. She really did know me.

"That's great!"

"Now, I might take a little longer. Not everyone can look as effortlessly beautiful as you, Lily." She said as she went to the bathroom to go wash her face.

"Mary, beauty is in the eye of the beholder." I told her, quoting a Muggle book. She rolled her eyes and shut the bathroom door. I sat on my bed, wondering how today was going to go. It obviously wasn't going to be perfect. I knew that. Thinking about James I realized: What if he didn't change? What if he's still that old arrogant prick? What if he returns that way, now that I agreed to go out with him? But, he seemed fine a few hours ago, I reminded myself. I shrugged my shoulders and decided I shouldn't worry about that. _Well for now at least_. A voice in the back of my head reminded me. I shoved it away. Mary came out of the bathroom, her face washed and glowing.

"Alright, Mary. It's about 11:15. We have enough time to get dressed and meet Sirius and James."

"Right you are, Lils." She said as she stalked over to her closet and pulled out a deep blue v-neck shirt that matched her eyes and a mid-thigh white skirt. "This is mine…." She said, laying it out on her bed. She went over to my closet and pulled out the outfit she was talking about earlier. She took my American sneakers out of my closet. It was some popular brand called Converse. My dad bought them for me when he went on a business trip there. Mary picked up her wand and muttered something and they turned green. "And this is yours." She said, laying my outfit on the bed.

"I'll get changed first, then?" I asked, as I picked up my clothes.

"Yeah." She said airily, completely zoning out, presumably thinking about what do with our hair and makeup. I rolled my eyes. I changed into my outfit and looked at myself in the mirror. I gasped at the image I saw. It was me, but a lot prettier. The green shirt hugged me to show off my curves and the jeans color worked perfectly against my pale body. I stepped out of the bathroom.

"Well. How do I look?" I asked.

"Lily. I'm going to have to hope that Sirius doesn't get jealous of James." She said snickered. I laughed as she picked up her clothes and went into the bathroom to change. She took a lot more time than I had. I gasped at the sight of her. She didn't look like the Mary I knew. The blue v-neck was absolutely perfect for her, and the white skirt was suitable on her olive skin. Her usually straight, brown hair was curled, and looking more closely at her eyes, I could see she was also wearing eye shadow, mascara, and eyeliner.

"Mary, I can't believe it's you." I said, astonished. She laughed at my expression.

"Okay, now let's work on your hair." She waved her wand at the bottom of my hair, so it curled a little. "And now your eyes…" She murmured and I looked in the mirror to see my red lashes turn to black and eye liner around my eyes.

"Perfect!" I exclaimed. "Thanks!"

"No problem." She said, shrugging her shoulders.

"You really are magic." I said, rolling my eyes. We burst out laughing.

"Alright, Lily, It's 11:50. We should head downstairs. WAIT! I forgot something VERY important!" She said, with a crazed look on her face. "We need lip gloss." Her voice was now calm and I rolled my eyes again, realizing it wasn't anything _too_ important. "Don't look at me like that!" She put her hands on her hips. "When you kiss James later today, you'll thank me." She said confidently. She went back to her dresser and pulled out a pink tube. She applied a little on herself, handed it to me, and I did the same. "_Now_ we're ready." She said, and left the common room. Sirius and James were nowhere to be found once again, so we assumed they were already down near the statue.

We exited the castle and I noticed it was even more beautiful than it was during our walk this morning. We found Sirius and James talking right where they said they'd be, right near the statue.

"Hi James." I said, as I walked over to him. His eyes widened when he saw me. He opened his mouth to say something, but no sound came out. "James put your eyes back in their sockets," I told him, laughing. He cleared his throat.

"Lily, you look beautiful, as usual of course." He added. I blushed.

"Thanks." I said.

"Shall we go?" He asked, holding his hand out for me. I took it and entwined my fingers with his. It felt really nice. We walked to the entrance and I took a deep breath. Here it goes. My first date.

* * *

A/N: This concludes Chapter 3. I'm sorry it was so short. I wanted James' and Lily's date to be its own chapter. Be patient, exciting things lie ahead. Will update soon!

Sam Storsky.


	4. Hogsmeade

Chapter 4: Hogsmeade

I walked with James into the entrance of Hogsmeade. Looking up at him, I noticed he's been staring at me happily the entire time.

"So where shall we eat for lunch?" He asked.

"Uh…" I really didn't know where to go. The only place for lunch in Hogsmeade was Madam Pudifoot's and I've always thought that place was rubbish.

"I have an idea… Misty?" James called out. I looked at him in confusion. Suddenly, I heard a _pop!_ And a small house elf appeared in front of us.

"Master called me?" The little house elf asked in a high-pitched voice.

"Misty, how many times? I told you, call me _James._" He said with a small smile. "I need to you to do something for me." He kneeled down next to her and whispered something in her ear. "Okay?" He asked, once he got back up.

"Yes, Ma-James." She squeaked happily before leaving with another _pop!_

"What was that about?" I questioned as I took his hand back in my own.

"Oh, you'll see." He said, his eyes lighting up. "I want to show you something." He said, much more seriously. He led me out of Hogsmeade, and near the Shrieking Shack

"James….?" I asked, my eyes widening. "What are we doing here? This place is dangerous and old."

"Lily…this is what I wanted to tell you…" James started. "Come." He brought me to the other side of the castle, near the Whoomping Willow. He levitated a branch and pushed a button on the tree. He motioned me to come over.

"James…You can't be serious…" I was absolutely frightened. What was this? He had this look on his face I'd never seen before. He took my face in his hands. My breathing quickened.

"Lily, would I _ever_ try to hurt you?" He asked. "Trust me." he whispered as his face drew closer to mine. I gulped and slid down the tunnel that he pointed to. He followed close after.

"James, where are we?" I asked, clambering up. I'd never seen this place before. Were we still near the castle? He continued walking into the seeming darkness. We climbed a few flights of stairs before we saw any real light. It came from a window on the top floor. He brought me over to it and I gasped at what I saw. _It was Hogsmeade_. From _right_ where we were standing before he brought me to the Whoomping Willow. My breathing quickened as I realized where we were. "James…This…This…This is the _Shrieking Shack?_" I asked, shocked.

"Yes." He said.

"How did you find out about this..?" I asked. I knew this is where Remus went for his transformations, because the Shrieking Shack was said to be haunted and it was said that you could hear wolves howling from there. I put two and two together and realized this was where Remus went.

"James…" I started slowly. "Were you going to tell me Remus is a werewolf?" I asked. He let out a breath.

"How'd you figure it out?" He asked me with a sigh.

"Same way you three did. When I became friends with him, back in the beginning of the year, I noticed his disappearance every month around the full moon. He always looked cut up and bruised every time he came back, too. Then, one day, when I was out with Snape, I heard wolf howling coming from the Shrieking Shack. In the beginning, it was only a theory. But later on, I knew he really was a werewolf because of his boggart form, a full moon. When I did research in the library, it did say that people who didn't want to be a werewolf, were usually fearful of the time they have to transform." I finished. James just looked at me in awe. He kept opening and closing his mouth.

"Well, you _are_ the smartest witch in our year. I'm just surprised you figured it out faster than we did. It took us a year of being best friends with Remus before we figured it out. And you weren't even as close to him as we were!" He exclaimed.

"Well, I do own a calendar." I told him, rolling my eyes.

"And to answer your question from before, I wasn't going to tell you that, it's not my secret to tell. But now that you do know about Remus' condition, it'll be easier to explain."

"So what _were_ you going to tell me?" I asked, now curious again. He took a deep breath.

"Have you ever heard Sirius call me 'Prongs'? Or call Peter 'Wormtail'? Or me call Sirius 'Padfoot'?" He asked. I do remember them all calling each other those ridiculous nicknames. Mary and I thought they were just queer and had some insignificant reference.

"Yes, I actually have." When I said that, I also realized Peter, Sirius, and James disappear along with Remus on those nights. "Wait, don't tell me you three actually _go_ with Remus during his transformations! It's incredibly dangerous to people! That's why they planted the Whoomping Willow! So it protects this entrance to the Shrieking Shack! So Remus is away from students when he transforms…But anyway-" I was cut off by James.

"Yes, we knew it was dangerous, _for people_." He emphasized. "So when Sirius, Peter, and I found out in our second year, we decided to look into…" He took another breath. "Animagus Transformation." He whispered. I gasped. "The three of us, by the next year, were successful Animagi. Illegal, of course." I stared at him. My mouth was wide open. Was he really _that_ talented? I never knew. Of course I knew he always did better at Transfiguration than me, the only person, actually.

"Wow. Can I uh...see?" I said curiously. I've never seen an animagus transformation! What was his form? He grinned and changed right in front of my eyes into a large stag. He changed back. "That was amazing." I earnestly told him. Then I remembered something. "_Expecto Patronum._" I said, and a silvery-white doe emerged from my wand. I looked at James and his eyes widened in realization.

"_Expecto Patronum._" He said, too. Another silvery-white figure was formed, and this one was a stag. The stag nuzzled the doe's head. After a few moments of watching, we put our wands down and the stag and doe disappeared. It was weird how we had similar patronus forms. James smiled really wide, took my hand, and led me out of the Shrieking Shack and we took a path from there to Hogsmeade. "Misty" He called out, and the little elf appeared with a _pop!_ "Is our lunch ready?" James asked.

"Yes, I shall bring it now." She said and disapparated. She reappeared, this time holding a picnic basket. "Here, Master and Miss."

"Thanks, Misty." James said, as he took the picnic basket. She disapparated once more with a _pop!_ and we were alone. "Well, shall we dine?" James asked, as he opened the picnic basket. Inside were two sandwiches, two bottles of water and some dessert. He took out the sandwiches and the water first, and gave me one of each and took some for himself. I took a couple of bites out of my sandwich and drank some water.

"I can't believe this year's almost over." I said sadly. This year went by so fast, it was unbelievable.

"Yeah. I'm relieved the O.W.L's are over. They were a pain." He admitted as he finished up the last of his sandwich and started on his cake. I finished my own sandwich and started on my cake when I thought of something I wanted to ask him for a while.

"Why did you attack Snape, that day we finished our O.W.L's? It didn't seem like it was _entirely_ for a laugh." I told him. I wondered, was there a reason behind it? Was there a possibility that he didn't attack Snape for a simple laugh? I made a mistake about his character, so it was possible I made another. His eyebrows furrowed.

"In the halls the day before, I was walking with Moony, Wormtail, and Padfoot. Snape was in the corner with Avery, Bellatrix, Mucliber, and Malfoy. The corridor was completely empty except for the 9 of us, so Avery dared to say something to me. He asked, 'James, are you having any luck with the red-headed… _you-know-what_'" He paused and crinkled his nose. "And the others started laughing. I told him to shut up and threatened to hex him. Moony and Padfoot held me back before I could do anything though. Then Snape stepped forward. I knew you two were pretty close friends so I didn't say anything to him. I was going to turn around to leave when he said, 'What Potter, you can't get a little…_you-know-what_…" He paused again. "To fall for you? How weak.' I went kinda crazy and broke from Moony and Padfoot's grips and pointed my wand at him. I told him that he would regret that he called you that and I left. I told myself that night that I would do something to make sure you knew what he called you. I didn't want to tell you outright because I knew you wouldn't believe me. With Moony, Padfoot, and Wormtail's help, I set up a plan for that day, making sure you were near the lake, within earshot of everything. I was happy when my plan worked, but then I saw your face, you were crying…I really couldn't stand that and I _tried_ making Snape apologize, but he didn't. So I left, leaving him hanging by an ankle." He finished, looking at the grass. Everything made sense now. He didn't make fun of Snape for the fun of it that time, no, he had a _reason_. I finished the rest of my cake and James started to make it disappear.

"Come, let's walk around for a little bit more, and then we can find Mary and Sirius and head back to the castle." I suggested as I stood up. He cautiously put his arm around my shoulders and seemed to relax a little when I didn't say anything. I put an arm on his waist, to make him feel a little better. As we walked through Hogsmeade, I could feel people staring. I looked up anxiously at James. He was so confident, walking through while people are gawking. The wind was ruffling his hair a little and the sun was hitting his hazel eyes perfectly. I saw Snape with Bellatrix, Lucius, Avery and Mucliber. His black eyes stared into mine. They seemed so _empty _and_ cold_. I sighed and told myself to look away. We had wandered along a path and found ourselves in the abandoned area of Hogsmeade. The building around us looked like they hadn't been inhabited in decades. The windows were broken, and the signs on the shops were dull and falling.

"Why don't we turn around?" He suggested. I nodded and we walked back in the direction we came from. We were almost back near the crowded part of Hogsmeade when Lucius started walking towards us. He was followed closely by Avery, Mucliber, Bellatrix, and then Snape. When James saw Snape, he tightened his grip on my shoulders.

"It's okay." I whispered, not sure myself. However, we kept walking, trying to ignore Lucius and the other four and their advances. We didn't stop until Lucius was a meter away from us. He stopped too, and crossed his arms across his chest and stared at us. James arm moved down to my waist and he pulled me closer.

"What do you want, Lucius?" James asked forcefully. A smirk formed on his face as the other four stood directly behind him.

"You have offended us. That will not pass by without punishment." It sounded scarily like they were in some kind of cult, but then I remembered, they _were_. I shuddered and I put down the arm that was around James. I used it to reach into my robes for my wand, and saw that James was doing the same. Of course, this did not go unnoticed by Lucius and the rest of them, because their wands were pointed at us as soon as we were able to get our wands pointed at them.

"Wow guys, real brave. Five against two." James sneered as they formed a circle around us and James and I moved so we were back to back.

* * *

**A/N: Hi guys, sorry for such a late update. I didn't give up on the story. I went on unexpected vacation this past week and didn't get to write. And, I've wanted to write this chapter for a while. Next chapter is coming up soon. Please read and review!**

**Love, Sam Storsky**


	5. The Attack

Chapter 5: The Attack

James and I stood in the middle of the circle, back to back. Malfoy, Avery, Mucliber, Bellatrix, and Snape's wands were pointed at us, and our wands at them. Of course this wasn't a fair fight, but they weren't going to pay attention to that.

"Where are Sirius, Mary, Remus and Peter? They could help us." I whispered to James.

"Maybe they'll realize we're missing and come find us?" James said hopefully. But we both knew how unlikely that was. We were near an abandoned part of Hogsmeade. We were on our own. I decided to take a different approach.

"Severus, why are you doing this?" I asked, looking straight into his eyes. I hoped maybe he would see reason. Bellatrix let out a crackling laugh that made my blood curl.

"Why would Severus listen to _you_? A filthy MUDBLOOD!" She said, screamed like a delusional at the end. Shivers ran up and down my body. James turned around and protectively in front of me.

"Don't. Call. Her. That." He snarled. "_STUPEFY_!" He yelled with his wand pointed at Bellatrix. With that, the fighting started.

"_PROTEGO_!" I screamed, knowing that the others would try to attack James once he yelled that. I looked around to see everyone was knocked off their feet and were scrambling to get back up. "You keep fighting offensively, I'll go defense. Get Lucius first" I told James. I stood back-to-back with James again, while I kept the shield up. He pointed his wand at Lucius.

"_INCARCEROUS_!" he said, and his body was bound with ropes. We figured he would be the most dangerous, since he was the oldest. The rest were in our year and only knew as much as we did, or less. "_Accio Wand_." he said, and the wand flew towards him. Meanwhile, I was holding off Bellatrix and Snape by locking their legs together. I knew it wouldn't last long, but I had to hold them off. James pointed his wand at Avery. He smiled evilly, his eyes bright with an idea.

"Here's for calling her a you-know-what!" He pointed his wand at him, and Avery was hung upside down by an ankle "_Accio Wand_!" The wand came speeding towards him. James handed me Avery's wand. I took it and out of the corner of my eye, I saw a blue jet of light racing towards Mucliber. His wand flew out of his hand and Mary stepped forward, followed by Sirius.

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked and stopped everything I was doing.

"_PROTEGO_!" James yelled and a blue shield was cast between me and Bellatrix, who tried hexing me while I was watching Mary and Sirius emerge out of nowhere. Sirius and Mary joined us in the fight. We already got rid of Avery and Lucius, and Mucliber was reaching for his wand again. The four of us stood across from Mucliber, Snape and Bellatrix.

"Well, I guess it's even now. Three against three. The _**mudblood**_ doesn't count!" Bellatrix squealed.

"How dare you!" James roared.

"She's better than any of us at magic!" Mary retorted.

"And she's a hell better person than YOU!" Sirius sneered.

"Oh yes, my dear cousin. Taken the wrong side…with your idiotic _Gryffindor_ pride. Join us. Join us like Regulus. You know you've always wanted to be _mommy's son_" Bellatrix taunted as a smile formed on her face.

"THAT'S A LIE!" Sirius bellowed as he got into an offensive position

"Oh no, there are more of them…" I whispered to James, pointing in front of us. Rodolphus, Crabbe, Goyle, and the Carrow siblings came towards us, intending to join the attack.

"What? Is this some kind of a Junior Death Eater party?" Sirius asked, straightening up, noticing them, too.

"Yeah, we're sorry to intrude, but we must get going." Mary, said, clearing trying to escape. Instead, they formed a circle around the four of us. They freed Lucius and Avery and gave them wands.

"Aw, guys, I'm touched you think we're so great that you need to have ten of you just to fight the four of us. It really is a great honor." James said, with sarcasm dipping in his voice.

"James!" I whispered, quietly reprimanding him. This wasn't the time for jokes. Then, James, the leader suddenly took over.

"Alright guys, on the count of three. Stun and duck alright? 1…2…_**3**_!" He whispered.

"_STUPEFY_!" Our four voices yelled and then we dropped to the ground. I looked up and saw that we did knock out four of them. I silently cheered as I realized Lucius was one of them that were knocked down, along with Avery, Crabbe, and Amycus. I saw Sirius go towards Bellatrix.

"Hey, Bella, where's my dear brother? Decided he didn't want to join the attack? Oh, he was always such a coward. _Impedimenta_!" Bellatrix was knocked off her feet.

"You'll pay for that, Black!" Rodolphus screamed as he charged towards him.

"_Expelliarmus._" I said, pointing my wand at Mucliber's. He was trying to attack me while I wasn't looking…again. What a coward. His wand flew into my hand. Using both of the wands, I said, "_Petrificus Totalus_" and he froze. I figured he would be frozen for a while, since I used both of our wands, even though his wasn't mine. I turned back around to watch what Sirius and Rodolphus were doing.

"Oh, going out with my cousin, now are you? Well, I guess you guys are made for each other. You're both _death eaters, and insane_…" Sirius counted off on his fingers. Rodolphus flicked of his wand and Sirius was hoisted by an ankle. Then Mary charged forward.

"_Petrificus Totalus_!" She screamed, and Rodolphus fell to the ground with a _thud_. She aimed her wand at Sirius and he fell to the ground.

"Thanks." He said, flashing a smile in her direction. She nodded and came back to my side.

"LILY, DUCK!" I heard James scream and I dropped to the ground, as did Mary. I looked up to see red light pass over my head. Still on the ground, I saw where it came from. It was Goyle.

"_Stupefy_!" Mary and I said at the same time. We watched as he fell to the ground. I sort of felt bad for the guy. Two stunners? But, I suppose it did take a lot to get through that fat of his. We got back up and looked around to see James and Sirius dueling with Snape, Mucliber, and Alecto.

"_Stupefy_!" Alecto screamed when he got the chance, and I saw Mary fall down besides me. I realized something then. The Junior Death Eaters didn't know the counter curse for _Stupefy_. Clearly, they didn't study well for their O.W.L's. Then, I realized Severus _did_ know the counter spell. We studied for our Defense and Charms O.W.L's together. But why wasn't he using it? I looked over at him. James was throwing everything he had at Snape, which explained it. James was keeping him occupied.

"_Ennervate_" I whispered so the Junior Death Eaters didn't pick up the spell, and Mary regained consciousness. Relieved, I helped her up, and we both ran over to where Sirius and James were. On the way, we knocked down Alecto and Mucliber. I stood next to James and Sirius and Mary stood right next to us. It was four against one. Us against Snape.

"Well, well Snivellus. You're the only one left…" James said. I knew only too well what James was planning.

"James, let's just leave. He's not worth it. We need to get out before they all wake up again…" I said, desperately trying to get us out of there. James looked at Sirius and Sirius nodded in agreement. James and Sirius stepped around him, leaving me and Mary there. Mary followed without another glance at Severus. I glared at Severus.

"Why…Why would you do this?" I asked him.

"Why would you go out with _him_?" He retorted. I crossed my arms over my chest and narrowed my eyes.

"He's changed. He's a better person than _you_ are and you'll _ever_ be." I told him snidely.

"Lily, come on, we need to get back." James said, losing patience. I glanced at Severus one more time and stepped around him.

"Let's go." I said, taking James' hand. I looked back at Severus and my eyes widened as I realized what he was doing. He had his wand pointed at James' back and his mouth was moving. "JAMES, WATCH OUT!" I yelled as I put myself in front of him. My eyes widened when the jet of dark green hit me. As I fell I saw Severus' eyes widen in shock and heard his and James' voice screaming my name. My heart was beating rapidly and I felt my skin being cut open by an invisible force. It was like a thousand _crucio_'s, not that I'd know what that feels like. A scream escaped from my lips and I started to thrash around. I felt the pool of blood around me. "DO SOMETHING. MAKE IT STOP!" I managed to scream. I opened my eyes and saw James' worried eyes staring at me, and he was screaming my name. Severus ran towards me.

"Lily, LILY!" James looked up at him and tackled him to the ground. Severus put his hands up, saying, "I know how to fix this. WAIT. I KNOW HOW TO FIX THIS!"

"JAMES LET HIM GO! HE KNOWS THE COUNTERCURSE!" I screamed. Anything to make it stop. James looked at me then the puddle of increasing blood. He let go of Severus. Severus came running towards me, knelt down next to me and pointed his wand at my stomach. I felt the cuts heal and the blood disappear. I sat upright, only to be knocked down all over again.

"Lily, Lily…I'm so glad you're okay! Don't _ever_ do that again, okay? _Ever_." James said as he hug-tackled me.

"Uh, James, I suggest you get off of her and let her breathe…she was just bleeding like crazy for the last two minutes…" Sirius suggested said as he pulled me and James up.

"Oh, my robes are still a mess…_Scourgify_." I said. I pointed the wand at my robes and the blood disappeared.

"YOU! YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS, SNIVELLUS, YOU'LL PAY!" James roared as he rounded up on Severus. He charged towards him.

"I didn't mean to hurt her, I really didn't!" Severus exclaimed, stepping back.

"James, please, he's not worth it. Let's go, the stunned Death Eaters should be waking up right now. And we need to get back to the castle." I said tiredly, pulling him away from Severus. James nodded reluctantly and turned to walk away. We managed to exit Hogsmeade without a disturbance. At the entrance of the castle, we saw Remus and Peter.

"Guys, where were you? We looked for you _everywhere_! It didn't help that Sirius had the map…" Remus shouted.

"We got caught up in bit of a fight…" I said slowly. Remus and Peter's eyes widened.

"The Junior Death Eaters decided to ambush me and Lily…" James began and he told the rest of the story while we walked to the Gryffindor Common Room.

"We need to tell Professor Dumbledore! Lily, or anyone for that matter, could've gotten seriously hurt!" Remus exclaimed once we were in the Common Room by ourselves.

"We can't. I think we should keep this to ourselves…Besides, it's almost the end of the term, and we should just let it go." I said stubbornly. Remus looked at me. He sighed in defeat and went to his dorm. Peter left with a soft 'goodnight' and followed Remus. James and I looked around and Mary and Sirius disappeared, too. Hopefully they went to bed in their _separate_ rooms.

"Lily, can I ask you something?" He said, a bit slowly.

"Sure, go ahead." I replied, curious to know what his question was.

"What changed your mind? Why did you decide to go to Hogsmeade with me? After 5 years, what changed?" He asked, tilting his head a little. I figured this question would come one day. I'd been asking myself lately, too.

"Well, I guess that night, when Snape attacked me; it really changed my views on you. And then Quidditch match the next morning…I considered the problem for a while that you weren't the arrogant person I thought you were. And today proved that." I finished, then thinking about what I said. I realized I meant every word. He nodded slowly, understanding. I looked into the fire, and realized that I was pretty sleepy. I stood up and he did, too. "I'm pretty tired from the ah…_exciting_ events of the day." He laughed.

"Yeah, me too." He responded. We stood up and walked hand-in-hand towards our dormitories. We stopped at the foot of the stairs.

"Goodnight, James." I whispered, stepping closer to him, my heart beating hard against my chest at the close proximity.

"Goodnight, Lily." He replied. He stepped a little closer and gave me a small kiss on the lips. He pulled back and it was over quicker than it started. I blushed furiously. Even if it was a small kiss, it was definitely better than any other kiss I've had. I started to go up my dorm's staircase, smiling to myself. I could've sworn I heard him whisper, "I love you" What surprised me was that I wanted to say it back.

* * *

**A/N: The end of the longest chapter yet. I wanted to write this chapter (and another one) since I started the story. Hope you enjoyed it and I hope I did the fighting scene properly. Anyway, thanks for reading, and please review!**

**Sam Storsky**


	6. Confessions and Mysteries

Chapter 6: Confessions and Mysteries

"And then Mary stunned Mulciber, who was about to attack James…" Sirius was saying animatedly. I tuned him out, letting my thoughts wander. We were down for breakfast and Sirius was dramatically retelling _every last _detail of yesterday's fight for Peter's benefit. Peter was a good audience; he eagerly took in Sirius' words, his blue eyes bright wide with amazement and envy. Remus was sitting a bit farther away from us today; he didn't approve of our decision not to tell Dumbledore about the attack. Since no one was hurt, and it had been an easy fight, I thought it would be unnecessary to involve teachers. James and I were the top students in our year, and Mary, it had seemed, was a good dueler. I thought Sirius could do with more focus, but still he was more than a match for the Junior Death Eaters we'd faced. Yes, it'd been an easy fight.

Still…despite that, I wished I could've wiped the memory of the battle from my mind, because honestly, I was pretty terrified. We were students of _Hogwarts_; I didn't think _we _would ever be attacked. Sure, there were disappearances and deaths reported in the _Prophet_, but they were out _there_, in the _real world_. Weren't we supposed to be safe? We were in the safest place the Wizarding World had to offer! We were under the roof of the castle _Dumbledore _protected. Surely, as long as Dumbledore was around, we were completely, one hundred percent safe!

"Oh, Peter, you have to listen to this, this is the best part," Mary chipped in. "Go on, Sirius!" she nudged him. I sighed, putting my fork down in defeat, and decided to listen in, too. I finished eating and had nothing else to do. I moved closer to James, who was between me and Sirius. He responded by put his arm around my waist, and we waited while Sirius drained his Pumpkin Juice so he could tell the rest of the story.

"So, we were turning around to leave, showing mercy to Ol' Snivellus. But he decided to be a coward and try to curse Prongs while his back was turned. But, courageous Lily here noticed and dived in front of Prongs!" I rolled my eyes. He was _so_ melodramatic.

"Go on!" Peter said, now leaning in.

"So, the curse hit her stomach and she fell to the ground, bleeding. Soon her entire body was covered in blood. Prongs couldn't _stand_ the sight of his poor Lily-flower practically bleeding to death due to this slimy Slytherin. So, he _leapt_ on Snape, practically clawing him to death! But then, Lily here somehow realized Snivellus knew how to fix it. Crazy girl," he added, "managed to think with barely a quarter of her mind. Anyway, so she realized he knew how to fix it, and she yelled at Prongs 'HE KNOWS THE COUNTERCURSE!' So, Prongsie decided to take a chance. He let the greasy git try to fix the mess he made. Snivelly scurried over to her, murmured the counter curse, "_Vulnera Sanentur"_, and she was healed. She'd scoured her robes, and she was as good as new. But Prongsie-wongsie, overcome with relief, tackled her and practically shagged her right then and there," Sirius finished with a grin.

"It was nothing like that!" James objected, color rising in his cheeks. Remus chuckled, joining us again now that Sirius had finished his 'thrilling' tale.

"Sure it wasn't," Sirius teased.

"I didn't hear the counter curse at the time…" I said thoughtfully, changing the subject. "_Vulnera Sanentur…_We need to keep that in mind for future reference." Remus nodded.

"Yeah, we should. We need to build up as much of a defense as an offense," he agreed.

"Defense?" Sirius responded dismissively. "Lily and James' shield charms combined are as good as Flitwick's! And that's saying something. He used to be a champion dueler!"

"But with them using their energy on the shield, they can't go offense, and these two are the best we've got," Remus countered.

"He makes a good point, Sirius," Mary agreed.

Sirius sighed, "I guess you're right…"

We were all silent for a moment, thinking of death eaters and curses, and whatever was to come. Sirius was the one to draw us out of the reverie:

"So what are we going to do today? It looks great outside," he pointed out.

"We could go to the lake," Peter suggested. I noticed James winced at the suggestion.

"What's wrong with the lake?" I asked, looking up at him.

"Well Lily," Sirius began, surely to start some long-winded overdramatic story, "I'm sure you remember a few days ago, when our O.W.L's ended, and we played a couple of harmless practical jokes on Snivellus out by the lake. Well, a few things happened there that did deeply hurt Prongs. First, you rejected him again. Second, you told him you'd rather go out with the Giant Squid - ouch. And third, Snivellus called you a -"

"Enough, Padfoot," James said abruptly, his tone sharp.

"So basically," Sirius continued, unfazed, "he thinks if we go there, you'll notice how much more appealing the Giant Squid is than him!" Sirius finished. I eyed him skeptically. Only _Sirius_ could come to that conclusion.

Mary raised an eyebrow. "Are you serious?" she asked him. Sirius gave her a wild grin and his grey eyes lit up.

"As a matter of fact, I _am_ Sirius!" he stated proudly. I groaned at the pun, smiling slightly.

"Not what I meant, you twat!" Mary laughed, reaching over the table to whack him.

"Something you should know about the Marauders, Mary; never _ever,_ use the word 'serious' in a sentence. We _will_ make it into a pun," Remus advised, his eyes twinkling in amusement at his friends.

Remus always seemed more mature than the other three; the level-headed, logical one of their group. It always surprised me that _he _didn't have girls on his tail, like Sirius and James. His light brown hair and intelligent, blue eyes, in my opinion, made him a complete package for girls who like sensitive guys. But his 'furry little problem', as James told me to call it, made him a little insecure.

"James, if I promise not to ditch you for the Giant Squid, can we go?" I asked, giving him my pouty face. He stared down into my eyes and ruffled his hair. As he looked at me I felt a kind of jolt in the pit of my stomach, and my expression faltered. It suddenly felt as if the air between us was full of electricity.

"Alright, fine," he said, breaking the tension. I smiled widely, getting to my feet.

"I've never seen Prongs give into someone so easily, Evans," Sirius informed me, seemingly irritated. He turned to Remus, "Moony, we may have a problem. What if she starts to tell him not to prank anyone? Ickle Prongsiekins will turn into a goody-two shoes, like Evans." His expression was revolted. "And then…and then they're going to be Head Boy and Head Girl together," his pitch escalated in panic, "and my best friend, oh, my best friend will be gone _FOREVER_!". It really did seem as if the boy had a permanent _sonorous _charm on him. I made a mental note to ask him sometime.

"Sirius, there's no need to worry," I reassured him. "Despite what you may think, I _do_ happen to enjoy those pranks - only the ones which target the Death Eater Slytherins, of course." Everyone always thought I was uptight, no fun; a stick in the mud. I only _really_ disliked the Marauders' pranks if they involved me, my friends, or meaningless bullying. Other times, I had to admit, they could be quite amusing.

"Prongs, I now approve of your girlfriend," Sirius told him. My heart fluttered at the word. It seemed so odd, just last week I thought I _despised _James. Yet somehow, in just a few days he managed to turn all that around, leaving me 'smothered under his undying love for me', as Mary put it.

"Thank you for your blessing," James replied dryly.

"Guys," I interrupted. "You know we still haven't left to go to the lake yet?"

"Impatient, this one," Sirius grumbled to James.

"Let's go," Remus said, rising from the table, with Peter closely following him. I'd always wondered about Peter. When I first met him, I thought he was scrawny, small, and nerves emanated from him in waves. His dirty blond hair lay flat on his head and he had deep, ocean blue eyes. Over the last five years, he hadn't grown any taller, rather _wider_.

"Sirius, get _up_!" Mary screeched. I looked over at the two of them, and saw Sirius was sitting absolutely still, presumably pretending to be a statue. He truly did have the maturity of a three year old, I thought in wonder.

"Allow me, Mary," James said quietly. He then raised his voice, "Padfoot, look! There's Minnie coming down from the staff table!" Sirius suddenly sprang up lithely and sprinted for the doors of the Great Hall, the rest of us in tow.

"Who's Minnie?" I asked hesitantly, wondering whether I'd regret it.

"Oh, Minnie. We gave her that name in first year. It's Professor McGonagall," he explained as we walked. My jaw dropped. The nerve of them! Calling _Professor McGonagall_ by her first name…and it wasn't even her first name, it was a _nickname_! "We called her that on the first day of class. Padfoot pretended not to know her surname, so he waved his hand in the air, pretending to be a small, timid first year, and asked, 'Professor Minnie, where are the bathrooms?'"

"How many days did he get for that?" I asked wryly.

"Well, McGonagall still had a humorous bone in her body in the early days," James said conversationally. "You know, before we started to grate on her nerves. So she replied, 'Mr. Black, I'll show you where the bathrooms are tonight, because you'll be scrubbing them every night for the next week!'"

"You guys were pretty obnoxious then," I told him knowingly. I was the victim of several pranks since first year because that was James' way of dealing with his crush on me. They'd happened on each of my birthdays. There was the green hair in first year – "To match your eyes, Lily pad," James later explained to me. Then in second year, my robes became blue and black, because James thought I _had_ to belong to Ravenclaw; how else could I be the only student to beat him in the Transfiguration exams? In third year, he decided to make the "secret" that he fancied me public, and I walked around all day with a sign above my head that flashed and said, "PROPERTY OF JAMES POTTER" It started to ring and make a siren noise if a guy came within three feet of me. It took a while for me to forgive him for that. Fourth year was better, almost sweet. It was a 'sorry' gift for the year before. He had the house elves put flowers, lilies namely, around my dormitory room, and they followed me around all day. Fifth year was of course, the banner.

"Hey, guys," Remus motioned for us to sit down. We were at the lake already. I looked at James. He was standing close to me, and I noticed his arm was around my waist. I could feel my cheeks turn pink with the observation and I felt a swooping sensation in my stomach. I sat down on the grass next to Mary, and James sat down next to me.

"Can you believe how fast this year went?" Mary asked, picking up a blade of grass.

"It feels like just yesterday we got to Hogwarts," I agreed. The year had indeed gone fast. Between studying for O.W.L's, Prefect duties, classes, Hogsmeade trips, the betrayal of former best friends, dates with former sworn enemies and impromptu death eater attacks, I'd barely had time to stop and think this year.

"Those patrols were killer," Mary replied. Remus raised an eyebrow at her.

"Mary, you only had to do that once…" I said slowly.

"Still, I was exhausted," she said defensively.

"I had her cover my patrols that one day, when Sn—uh, when the O.W.L's were finished," I stammered.

"I can't believe tomorrow we'll be back on the train home," James said, perhaps in an effort to change the subject. I was relieved. No need to bring back unwanted memories, especially those involving a certain slimy Slytherin git.

"What are your plans?" Sirius asked.

"We don't plan on doing much, Padfoot. My parents have to lay low, you know." He whispered. Sirius gave him a knowing nod. I looked at him questioningly and he gave me look that clearly said 'tell you later'.

"I think I'm going back to the castle," Peter said randomly. "I'm hungry."

"Wormtail, we just ate!" Remus objected. Peter shrugged his shoulders and rose to his feet.

"I wonder what's gotten into him lately," Sirius murmured. "He's been eating so much…_too_ much, actually."

"I'll have to talk to the House Elves…" Remus frowned, his eyes on Peter's retreating figure.

"Remus," a girl's shy voice came from behind me, drawing his attention. I turned around to see Katherine Wright, a fellow fifth year Gryffindor. "Can I talk to you for a second?" she asked him. She ran a hand through her chocolate brown hair, - I smiled slightly at the gesture- and batted her eyelashes. Some of these girls were crazy. They absolutely adored the Marauders, and Remus was the only one still single. Well, Peter was too, but he started stuttering and sweating whenever a girl was in the vicinity, so really it was only Remus who was available.

"Er, sure?" Remus replied, sounded uncertain, getting up to join her.

"So Mary," Sirius slided closer to her. "How 'bout we go find a nice cozy broom cupboard for two, eh?" He wiggled his eyebrows. She giggled and nodded. He stood up, offering her a hand, and they left together, leaving me and James alone.

"Crazy, those two," I commented, watching them go.

"Yeah…" James responded, distractedly. "Anyway, Lily, what are your plans this summer?" he asked, looking down at the grass.

I shrugged. "I'm at home all summer. Mary's visiting for a few days, and I'll be spending a week at her house."

"I was wondering," he hesitated, looking slightly embarrassed, "whether you would come to my house…meet my parents…" He avoided meeting my eye again; staring down at the grass he was picking at. I looked away and gulped. _Meeting parents?_ The thought hadn't even crossed my mind. We'd only been on one date for crying out loud…and that was _yesterday_. Then again, we'd known each other forever - since the first day on the Hogwarts Express. And it wasn't as if my parents hadn't heard of him. I fought a smile; I had mentioned him in almost every one of my letters to my parents. My mum was absolutely delighted with him; calling him 'sweet' and always encouraging me to agree to go out with him whenever I told her that he asked me. My dad never really _objected _to James, but he wanted me to wait a while. He saw how much James apologized the summer after third year; we'd had dozens of owls in and out of the house that summer. I remembered Petunia shrieking every time she saw one, complaining about my "freaky" school and hiding in her room for hours. I wrenched my mind back to the present, realizing James was waiting for my response.

"Sure, James," I smiled. "And if you don't mind, you can meet my parents, too," I told him, smiling sweetly. His eyes widened in terror.

"Meet your parents? Like your mum…and your _dad_!" Clearly, he feared my father. Probably wise.

"How'd you know I'm daddy's girl?" I asked curiously. I knew I'd never mentioned that to him.

"Oh, it's just one of the random things I know about you…" he trailed off, turning very red.

"What else do you know about me?" I asked, intrigued.

"Um…" He seemed hesitant.

"Please?" I begged. He sighed.

"Promise you won't get mad and call me a stalker?"

"Promise," I said earnestly. I just needed to know how much he knew about me. He gulped, his adam's apple bobbing in his throat.

"Well…" He took a breath. "When you're nervous during an exam, you bite on the top of your quill and it calms you when you tickle your nose with it. You only have 10 pairs of socks, and one of them is a pair of lucky socks you save for the first and last days of school, and also during exams. You use magic to clean them if you need to wear them two days in a row. Severus _Tobias_" He stifled a small laugh, "Snape was your best friend even before Hogwarts and you used to sneak out every other night for three hours to see him. You'd sit by the lake and watch the stars and just talk. During winter, you'd talk in an empty corridor. Very, very rarely, you would talk in public. Your favorite food is chocolate frogs. Very healthy," he added with a grin. "You only pretend to dislike Quidditch because I play it. You think you always look like you're celebrating Christmas because of the red-green thing you have going on there. You sit in the common room until ten, either doing homework or if you're finished and don't want to start doing an assignment we've yet to be assigned, you'll just stare at the fire. You like the fire because it's all in your control, how big or small it is and when it can be put out, and you often play with it when you feel like you're no longer in control of your life. You used to be afraid of knives, but in first year, when we started using them to make potions, you made yourself get over it. I'd go on, but I'm afraid of scaring you," he finished. I sat through his entire monologue, gaping like a fish out of water. How on _Earth _did he know all that? Some of those things, I never even told Mary. And apparently he had _more_ on the list.

So, he _did_ care about me. A lot more than I'd thought, actually, if he'd paid that much attention. He'd been crazy about me since first year. He had to have been if he knew about the knife thing. I didn't admit that to _anyone_.

"Wow," I recovered. "That's…That's really sweet that you know all of that about me, James. I'm really…touched," I managed. His cheeks gradually turned red, and he shrugged his shoulders.

"Maybe we should head back to the castle," he suggested gruffly. I nodded and we stood up together. As we walked back to the castle, hand in hand, I wondered, how _did_ he know all of that about me? I shook my head. Maybe it was best not to know…ignorance was bliss…well, only in _some_ cases.

* * *

**A/N: Well, end of another chapter! This one was just a bit of a filler really, not much going on. **

**REVIEW PLEASE? Button's right there. All ya gotta do is click it…and then write stuff. Hopefully, I'll be able to update again soon!**

**AND A THANKS TO MY BETA READER, crushed_lilyflower! **

**Sam Storsky**


	7. Confrontations

Chapter 7: Confrontation

When I woke up the next morning, I just stared up at the canopy of my four poster bed, thinking about the fact that I was going back home. I was going back to Petunia, back to my parents…but this time, without Severus. What would I tell them? That we were no longer friends because he'd called me a 'mudblood'? My parents would give me sympathy, but Petunia…oh, I'd never hear the end of it from Petunia. She'd go on all summer, telling me something along the lines of: _'I told you so! I _knew _he was too slimy for his own good!'_ And then, how was I going to tackle the bigger news, the news of a _boyfriend_. My dad was going to freak! And the thought of having to sit through a dinner with him and James in the same room, possibly with James' parents…it would be utterly humiliating!

"Lil, the train leaves at noon," Mary reminded me, rushing around packing last minute things. "Time to get up."

"Yeah," I mumbled. I got up off my bed, grabbed my clothes and went to take a shower. When I came out, Mary was just finishing her packing.

"Have you packed already?" she asked me.

"Yeah, last night, when you were asleep," I told her. I really didn't like doing things last minute. My dad and I had that in common; we were the two in our family who only did things after careful thought and planning. My mum and sister were different; spontaneous. They seemed to do whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. One time, my dad had been away on business, and when he came home a couple of days later my mum had completely refurnished the living room. Had my dad been there they would've looked at different shops and furniture for months before deciding on something.

"We should go for breakfast," Mary glanced at her watch. "It's almost nine." She closed her trunk, ready to go.

"Alright, let's go," I agreed.

We found seats in the Great Hall next to the Marauders. "Hi guys," Mary and I said in unison as we sat down next to James and Sirius, who were whispering to each other quietly. "So," I asked them, "What's the big prank this year?

"Lilyflower, that's for us to know, and you to find out!" Sirius cheekily told me.

"Guys, I think it's time," Peter murmured, his eyes on the staff table. "Dumbledore's just about to drink his pumpkin juice, which means he's going to start the speech in exactly a minute." I wondered how many years of watching Dumbledore's habits it had taken to figure that out.

"Alright, let's go. Moony, Wormtail, you take the back," James instructed. "Sirius and I will go for the front." he grinned. He cast a disillusionment charm on himself, and then on Sirius. They weren't brilliant,- of course I could have done better -, but they were decent, especially considering we'd only just learnt them that year, right before our OWLs. Remus and Peter got up after counting slowly to ten, both casting disillusionment charms on themselves.

"I wonder what they're doing to do," Mary speculated, trying to track their movements, which soon turned out to be impossible.

"Whatever it is, Remus had better not be playing a big part," I said sternly. "He's a Prefect! He's supposed to stop these types of things, not take part in them!" I huffed. I knew I could be uptight at times; it was just that I worked so hard for that spot, and I didn't like to see someone else just glide in not to take it seriously. I wanted to be a Prefect since my first day at Hogwarts, when they directed us to the common rooms. I liked to think of myself as a leader, someone who could be responsible, and so I worked towards being a prefect ever since. I worked towards that, and now I was working towards being Head Girl, and hopefully one day, to being an Auror.

"What's up with the ceiling?" Mary asked, pointing towards it. I followed her gaze, and sure enough, the bright blue, cloudless sky the ceiling was charmed to replicate, was now starting to darken. Grey thunder clouds starting rolling in. More and more people started to notice, and eventually the teachers looked up questioningly.

"Is it going to rain?" I asked curiously. I thought probably not – this was the Marauders after all, they would hardly go for anything so simple.

Just as I was contemplating this, the weirdest thing happened. A grey cloud started drifting down - no longer just an image – and moved closer and closer to the tables of students. I peeked at Dumbledore out of the corner of my eye. He was just watching this strange occurrence in a way that only Dumbledore could. His half moon spectacles were rested comfortably on his crooked nose, behind which his eyes twinkled in amusement, his expression completely calm. The students seemed unsure what to make of the situation. It didn't look as though the cloud was causing any harm.

"Lily," Mary said dubiously, "I've got a _bad _feeling about this." She fidgeted nervously as the cloud continued to sink lower. All of a sudden, it separated into five individual clouds, each one drifting to cover one of the tables. I stared up, intrigued, at the cloud hovering above the Gryffindor table. After a moment, it seemed as though people were wondering whether anything was going to happen at all.

Suddenly, the Slytherin table's cloud began to darken even further, and everyone in the Hall jumped as thunder clapped. Of all of us, the Slytherins appeared to be the most scared. One of the first years looked as if he was about to cry.

"What d'you think's going to happen?" I whispered to Mary.

Mary squinted, "Lily, look! Things are _falling _from the clouds!"

I narrowed my eyes, "Are they _hats?" _I asked incredulously. Mary nodded, looking perplexed. Black, pointed wizard hats were falling fast from the cloud, and as I looked closely I saw that there was a band of red writing on each of their rims. "I wonder what they say!"

When the hats reached the students, they seemed to latch onto their heads like magnets. The younger students tried pulling them off with brute force, while some of the sixth and seventh years tried using magic. I heard them try the spells _reducto _and _relashio, _neither of which appeared to work. Several Gryffindors got up from the table, grinning, and ran over to the Slytherin table, presumably to see what was written on the hats. There was a chorus of laughter and some returned to our table to pull their friends up, saying they 'had to see this'.

"Want to go and see what they say?" I grinned, pulling Mary up. I caught Lucius Malfoy's eye as he struggled with his hat, and smirked. Edging closer to a group of first years, I caught sight of what was written. On each hat, written in block capitals, was the word _DUNCE._

Mary and I burst into laughter and made our way back to Gryffindor table. As we resumed our seats, the same thunderous sounds the Slytherins' cloud had made came from the cloud above the staff table.

I looked up excitedly, wondering what would happen next. "What d'you reckon they'll do to the teachers?" I asked Mary.

She shrugged her shoulders, "you never know with those boys."

The entire Hall fell silent in anticipation. Blue dust began to fall from the cloud, which soon turned into a thick fog, causing the teachers to break into coughing fits. A few moments later the fog had cleared slightly; revealing the teachers, who were all wearing each other's clothes. The students burst into laughter appreciatively. The teachers were all fuming, with the exception of Dumbledore and Slughorn, who ironically had been the two to end up in women's clothing. Dumbledore was chuckling heartily as he inspected his lilac colored robes, previously Madam Pomfrey's.

"Moony, Wormtail, I think it's time to switch 'em back, eh? They seemed to have had a good laugh." I jumped at the sound of James' voice next to me. I looked around, seeing no one.

"James? Is that you? Where are you?" I asked. I started as I felt James' hand entwine with mine.

"I'm right next to you," his voice whispered in my ear. Remus' voice came from the other side of me.

"Yeah, I think that's enough," he agreed with James.

"Where's Padfoot?" Peter's voice asked from directly in front of me. A shriek came from Mary and I looked over to her to see her being tickled by a seemingly invisible force.

"Well that answers that," James laughed. "Moony, Wormtail, ready?" he asked. Four wands swished through in the air, accompanied by incantations I didn't recognize. With a faint _pop _the hats disappeared, the Professors' clothes returned to normal, and the five clouds began to drift back towards the enchanted ceiling. Everyone watched as they seemed to merge once again with the sky above, which slowly changed in colour back to the bright blue it had originally been. There was no denying that it was beautiful magic. The wands then changed direction, pointing towards their owners, who one by one reappeared as the disillusionment charms were lifted. They sat back down, looking up expectantly as they waited for Dumbledore to say something.

"Thank you very much to the four gentlemen who have just reappeared at the Gryffindor table, for that wonderful and entertaining display of magic!" Dumbledore eyed the Marauders in amusement over the rim of his glasses. "This has been a magnificent term, and I would like to wish our seventh year leavers the very best of luck, with a special thank you to Alice Prewett and Frank Longbottom on behalf of the school for their excellent work as Head students!" Applause broke out from the Gryffindor table. I cheered especially loud; Alice was a good friend of mine. "And of course, a congratulations to Gryffindor House for winning the Quidditch Cup-" The applause from our table grew louder, "—and to Ravenclaw for winning the House Cup!" Cheering erupted from the Ravenclaw table. Dumbledore waited patiently for this to die down before continuing. His expression became suddenly somber and the atmosphere abruptly shifted. "On a rather morose note, I should like to warn, no, _request, _that everyone be very cautious during the summer away from Hogwarts. The wizarding world is changing, evil is rising, and war approaches…and any one of you sitting here could be in grave danger. Be on your guard, be cautious…be safe," he finished. His warning seemed to linger in the air around us as a short silence ensued. "But for now at least," he added, sighing, "let us enjoy our departing feast." He sat down, and scattered conversation began to break out around the Hall. No one clapped as they usually did.

As food appeared on the golden plates as usual, Sirius, Peter and James immediately dug in. Remus, however, sitting on the other side of me, was looking pale and only picking at his food.

"Remus, is something wrong?" I asked him. He just smiled at me, and then looked meaningfully at James.

James leant close to me and murmured; "It's that time of the month again, tomorrow. He usually gets like this around this time; it doesn't help that he dreads it so much. He always seems depressed around about now."

I thought back to when I realized Remus was a werewolf in the beginning of the year, to when I researched the condition in the library. Some books had mentioned that there were side effects, like a lack of appetite, around the full moon. I thought that the emotional effect it had on Remus made the physical effects worse. Remus must have overheard James' explanation, because his eyes widened and he was looking at James and me in disbelief. I guessed James didn't told him I knew. He cleared his throat, looking at me; "Lily, can I talk to you in private for a minute?"

"Sure," I told him. He led me out of the Great Hall and into an empty corridor.

"How did you find out?" he rounded on me. "Did James tell you?"

"No," I rushed, so he wouldn't get mad and jump to conclusions. "I worked it out in the beginning of the year, when we became friends. James would never have told me anything, even if I hadn't found out on my own. He just told me that he, Sirius and Peter were animagi," I explained.

Remus' brow was furrowed. "I hope it doesn't make you think of me differently, Lily. We're good friends, and now that you're going out with one of my best mates, we'll be a lot closer." I'd had a feeling Remus would come to this conclusion.

"It's alright Remus," I reassured him. "I've known for a year now, and I definitely don't think any less of you."

"Can I trust you not to tell Mary?" he asked me. "I don't know her very well, and I wouldn't want her to know until I can trust her."

"Of course," I smiled. "As James put it, 'it's not my secret to tell.'"

Remus sighed in relief, "thanks."

There was a short pause. I bit my lip, "Remus, I've been wondering…" I trailed off. The question had been nagging me for a while now, and I guessed that if anyone knew the answer, it would be Remus.

"Yes?" he prompted.

"I was just wondering…why did James tell me about him, Sirius and Peter being animagi?" I asked. "I was just really surprised, that he could trust me so easily, and so _quickly_… Especially after how I've treated him in the last five years, you know what I mean?."

"James knows you're too perceptive for your own good," Remus grinned. "We expected you to figure out what I am eventually, with or without our help. He was worried that if he kept disappearing, you would stop trusting him, and he loves you too much to allow that to happen." My heart skipped a beat. "Now, we really need to get back to breakfast before James sends out a search party for us."

I nodded, dazed, still thinking about what Remus had said. Everyone joked about how James 'loved' me, but coming from Remus, it was different. He honestly meant it. Only James and Peter were at the table when we arrived back in the Hall, and they were engaged in a conversation.

"Where are Sirius and Mary?" Remus asked, interrupting.

"They ran off, last minute snogging, apparently," Peter explained. "Those two disgust me sometimes."

They certainly moved fast. They'd got together at the same time as me and James – and we weren't off snogging at every opportunity. The closest we'd come to that was a small kiss two days ago! I finished my food and got to my feet; "I'll meet you on the train," I said to James. He nodded, giving me a wink, before going back to his conversation with Remus and Peter.

* * *

"Well, exciting year, don't you think?" James whispered to me. We were on the Hogwarts Express back to Kings Cross, and the other occupants of our compartment, Sirius, Mary, Remus and Peter, were fast asleep.

I nodded, "Yeah, it was definitely a year I'll remember forever…" I trailed off, thinking. "And you owe me a few explanations, by the way," I told him.

"Yes?" He smiled. I had a feeling that he knew it was coming.

"I'll start with the easiest one: Does Sirius have a permanent _sonorous _charm on him?" I asked him, only half joking. James gave a soft chuckle.

"No, he just has a ridiculously loud voice," he explained. I nodded.

There was a moment's silence.

"Anything else?" he prompted.

"Well," I began, "you said your parents had to lay low – why is that?" I hoped the question wasn't _too _personal.

"Well, my parents are pretty good Aurors. They rounded up a lot of the Death Eaters, and You-Know-Who has tried to kill them more than once. The Ministry's decided it'd be unsafe for them to go on anymore missions, so they've got to lay low, for now at least," he explained. I nodded again, digesting this for a moment. There was one other thing I had been wondering about.

"Just one more thing," I said.

"Just the one?" James grinned.

"What was the map Remus mentioned when we met up with them just after we were attacked?" I asked, my voice burning with curiosity. "I know it must somehow enable you to find people, because Remus said he couldn't find us since Sirius had the map – which would also explain why Sirius was able to find us in the first place."

James looked at me, clearly surprised by my quickness. "Nothing gets past you, does it?" he grumbled, while fumbling in the pockets of his robes.

He retrieved a piece of blank parchment, and pointed his wand at it, murmuring; "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

As I watched, words began forming on the parchment. I leant over to read aloud:

"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs…are proud to present the Marauder's Map." I stared at it. "You _made _this? What does it do?"

As James opened it up, black lines appeared and swirled around one another to form the plan of a very familiar building. And on it, were small black dots, each labeled with a Professor's name. "Is this _Hogwarts?"_ I asked, looking up at James. He simply nodded, looking slightly amused. I returned my gaze to the map; Dumbledore seemed to be pacing in his office. Filch was patrolling the fifth floor corridors. If this was happening now, then the four of them could see where anyone was, anywhere in the castle! So _that _was how they always got away with everything! "When did you make it?" I asked James.

"We just finished perfecting it after Christmas," he told me. "It shows everyone in Hogwarts – useful if you want to avoid Filch or any of the Professors."

I stared down at the map, amazed. It was such extraordinary magic! I wouldn't have even been able to _imagine_ creating something like this.

"You guys really are amazing at this stuff," I said earnestly. "Why don't you actually concentrate on studying?" I asked him. With talent like this, they could easily be top in our year.

"We believe that school is a hindrance," he explained. "If we'd concentrated on studying, we wouldn't have been able to put so much work into becoming Animagi, we wouldn't have been able to make the map…and of course, we would have had far less time for pranks," he grinned. "Hogwarts gives us the resources to bring out what we can really do – we only need the classes for the grades."

I considered this. I supposed it did make sense; their creativity shone through in the pranks they did.

"Maybe I could help you with that!" I said brightly. "With your abilities, and my teaching, you would still be able to prank and everything, but I can make sure you guys study to get your grades! Especially at NEWT level, 'cause they're supposed to be impossible."

There was plenty I could learn from them too. They were all so _talented._ The map was just remarkable, and from _fifth years! _James pocketed it, grinning at my enthusiasm. Then there was a groan from my right, and I looked over to see Peter stretch and open his eyes. He looked around blearily to see only James and I were awake.

"I'm going to go change," he informed us, taking out his muggle clothes from his trunk. "Coming, James?" The disturbance woke Remus and Sirius, who also began searching for their muggle clothes to change into.

As he retrieved his trunk, Remus commented; "Can't believe Mary's still asleep with all this noise."

"Oh, she'll sleep through a dementor attack," I told him dismissively. Sharing a dorm with Mary for five years had taught me that when Mary slept, she slept like a baby.

The boys left the compartment, and I was left alone with a sleeping Mary. Several minutes passed where I stared out of the window, and then the compartment door slid open. I looked up and groaned internally; Malfoy was standing in the doorway, accompanied by Avery.

"Well, well, well," he said silkily, "If it isn't the mudblood. Where's your boyfriend, Evans? Has he tired of your filthy smell?" Avery sneered appreciatively at the comment.

"Sod off, Malfoy," I snarled. Why did they feel the need to do this every single day?

"Malfoy, would you kindly stop insulting my girlfriend," James said quietly from behind him, anger in his voice. His, Sirius', Remus' and Peter's wands were all pointed at the Slytherins. Malfoy scowled at James and Avery threw me a dirty look, but they recognized a defeat, and left.

There was a noise from the corner of the compartment; "Aaaaauuuuuuughhhh!" We looked over in alarm to see Mary waking up and stretching.

"Very ladylike, Mary," Sirius joked.

"Ha ha, Sirius," she said dryly. "Oh, look, we're almost there!" she pointed out the window at the increasing number of houses and buildings, signifying we were coming into London. I glanced nervously at James. He was going to have to meet my dad, something I had been dreading since he first suggested it. The train began to slow to a stop, pulling into the familiar platform nine and three quarters. I looked out of the window for my parents, but I couldn't find them in the crowd.

"We're here!" Peter exclaimed.

Remus rolled his eyes; "I think we realized that, Pete."

"Let me help you with your trunk, Lily," James said, pulling it down from the luggage rack, and then his.

"Thanks," I smiled. "Nervous to meet my mum and dad?"

"Not so concerned about your mum…I can use the Potter charm," he flashed me a smile and I blushed. "It's your dad I'm worried about," he told me.

"Well, we'll see," I said, trying to sound casual as we stepped off the train together. On the platform, I stood on my tiptoes to search the crowd, until finally my eyes landed on Dad's very vibrant red hair. "There they are, come on!" I said happily, pulling James along with me.

"Slow down, Evans, I'm dragging two trunks here," he grumbled.

"Daddy!" I screamed as I ran into my dad's arms. I grinned into his chest before breaking away from him to kiss my mum on the cheek. "I've missed you both so much!" I told them.

"We're happy to have you back at home, Lils," Dad told me with a wide smile. Then his attention was caught by James, standing behind me, and his smile faded slightly. "Lily," he said slowly, "Who's your friend?"

I took a deep breath. "Mum, Dad," I said, equally slowly, "This is James. He's my boyfriend." I held my breath, grimacing.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Evans," James stepped forward, holding his hand out to my father.

My father hesitated for a moment, looking at James' outstretched hand, before slowly shaking it.

"I'm sorry my parents aren't here," James continued. "I told you about their situation, right?" I nodded. "Anyway, I need to go and find Sirius. I'll owl you later…Bye, Lily," he smiled at me. He then turned to my parents, "Bye Mr. and Mrs. Evans, nice to meet you."

I watched him go, sighing. It occurred to me that I hadn't seen Mary since she'd left the train with Sirius, and I hadn't said goodbye. I looked around the platform and saw her standing with her mum and dad, about to go through the barrier. I waved to her, and mouthed 'I'll owl you later!' She smiled at me and nodded in return.

I turned back to my mum and dad. The summer would definitely be interesting. I would have to explain why Snape had left my life, and why James had entered it.

* * *

**A/N: Review please!**

**Love,**

**SAM :)  
**


	8. The Lunch

Chapter 8: The Lunch

"Lily, when are you supposed to visit James?" My mother asked as soon as I entered the kitchen.

"Uh, He's supposed to get here at 1 and then take me back to his house." I told her. I was going to have lunch with the Potter's and I was absolutely terrified. It's been a month since term ended and I've been in touch with James, writing letters to him everyday. I told him about Petunia's new boyfriend, Vernon. He's really uptight and has the biggest mustache I've ever seen. I heard Petunia talking on the telephone with her friend, and they were talking about how well Vernon kisses. It doesn't make sense to me, how someone with a squirrel above their upper lip can kiss well.

I've been talking to Remus, too. He's been telling me all sorts of things about werewolves they don't put in the books. I tried writing to Mary but she never responded. I hope nothing too bad happened. Whatever happened, I'm sure she'll explain it once we get back to school.

"Lily, when is James going to come here for lunch?" My dad asked. He was eager for another meeting with James. Petunia just wanted to see what he looked like, since mum had been going on for the last four weeks about how attractive he was.

"Dad, we'll decide that when I go there." I told him. He just nodded in response and went back to reading his newspaper.

"I'm going over to Sophia's house now. I'll be back at around 4." Petunia called out as she was leaving.

"Bye, Tuney." We called back in response. As soon as Petunia was out of sight, my dad abruptly got up.

"I'm going to go take a shower." He said and went up the stairs.

"Honey, there's something we need to talk about. Why don't you sit down?" My mom asked as soon as he was out of earshot. I was worried about her tone. What happened?

"Mum, is there something wrong?" I asked.

"No dear. I just thought, since you have a boyfriend you're actually serious about, I should talk to you about certain things." She told me. I hoped that this isn't the 'talk'. James and I hadn't even properly kissed once! "So, as you're growing older, there will be some…uh...impulses you may feel when you're with James and-"

"Mum, mum! Stop it! It's not like that _at all_! We haven't even really kissed at all! There's no _way_ we're going that far! And you know how much dad would freak out if I did! There's no way I'm doing _that_ until marriage! And I'm not one hundred percent sure about this, but I believe James has the same views!" I told her, covering my ears. She let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness. I was worried I'd have to give you that talk before Petunia, and considering you're two years apart, that would be pretty odd." She told me and I nodded in agreement. "So what are you going to wear today?"

"Uh, I'm not sure. I have two hours to get ready, though. I'll figure it out later." I told her, waving a hand dismissively.

"Lily Marie Evans. You have gotten lazier since you came back from school. You don't even wake up until 10:30 and usually don't even take a shower until after dinner! Did the exams tire you out?" She asked worriedly.

"Yeah, from January to May, I've been sleeping at around 12 and waking up at 6." I had a really rough schedule and I was embracing summer to enjoy the sleep I wanted.

"When are those results supposed to come in?" Mum asked.

"Oh, well it's been about a month since term ended, so it'll come soon." I was really nervous about my O.W.L's results. I'd studied really hard, but Ancient Runes really scared me. I was terrified of failing that.

"Lily, there's something else I wanted to discuss with you. It's about Severus." My mom said. I gulped. I told my parents that Severus was staying with his uncle for the summer, so I could avoid telling them what happened. What could have happened to bring up that subject again? "You told me, your father, and Petunia that Severus was at his uncle's house on the other side of the country. Yet, a few days ago, when you were in London, I spotted Severus walking around the playground, where you and Petunia used to play. Is there something you're keeping from us?" She asked. I sighed. My mother could be as perceptive as me and my father sometimes.

"Well, mom, you see, I never really quite told you how I went from hating James to dating James. And it sort of has to do with Severus." I recounted the entire story, from Snape being hung by an ankle, adding in the part where James told me why he did it, and then to that night. Of course, I left out the part where Snape tried to attack me. I told her instead that he left, and I was crying in front of the common room and James found me, took me back inside and I told the story as it was from there. She sat, listening with her eyes wide open, and didn't say a word until I finished.

"Honey, I'm sorry that happened to you, I thought he was a nice kid. He's been your friend for six years." Mum told me solemnly. I nodded and felt my eyes watering. "It's okay though. You have James now, and even though I've only seen him once, I can just tell, he won't do this to you." My mom said, giving my hand a squeeze. "Speaking of James, look at the time! It's almost 12! We need to get you ready. Let's go upstairs and see what we find." She said. "And while we're up there, might as well tell your father that there was no need for me to give you that talk…" She muttered, probably to herself, but I still heard it.

"What?" I shrieked. Did _dad_ ask mom to give me this talk? Did he really think that we were going to go there? And if he thought we were, how would he react when James is in the house!

"It's okay, he didn't, he was rather repulsed that I'd think of talking to you about anything like that!" She told me with a laugh as we made our way upstairs. I let out a sigh of relief.

"Lil, it's an absolute pig sty in here!" My mom exclaimed, taking a look at my room. The only things that were out of place were books, spare parchment, quills, and my bed sheets.

"It's not _that_ bad, mum…" I mumbled, looking at my feet.

"Oh, we'll worry about this later. Right now you need to get ready so you can meet Mr. and Mrs. Potter." She told me, avoiding the books and striding across my room to my closet. "Not this, oh, this doesn't look too bad, maybe this one. Oh, these jeans are perfect! This is alright. Hum, this shirt isn't that great." Mum muttered as she threw various articles of clothing around her.

"Mum, please, step away from the closet, and allow me to pick something. Those jeans you just approved are for thirteen year olds!" I told her sternly. I was sixteen, and there was NO WAY I was going to let my mum dress me to meet my boyfriend's parents!

"Okay, but I will approve the final decision!" She told me and stepped back like I asked. I walked over to my closet and picked out a pair of black jeans and a flowery white top.

"Well?" I asked, showing it to her. My mom smiled wide in response.

"Lily, I just heard the door bell ring! Get down here and open that door!" Mum yelled from downstairs. I finished putting on my shoes, the Converse, to be exact, and ran down the stairs. I opened the door, and there was my jet-black haired, hazel eyed boyfriend. Except about half a foot taller.

"James, you've grown so much! We were practically the same height last month!" I exclaimed.

"Yeah, Quidditch paid off." He said, ruffling his hair.

"Come in really quickly, my mum's excited to see you again." I told him.

"Told you the Potter charm would work." I rolled my eyes.

"James! Good to see you again, and oh my, you've grown!" My mom squealed as James entered the kitchen.

"Hello, Mrs. Evans, good to see you again, too." James replied politely as he was squished in a hug. "Good afternoon, Mr. Evans." James said when my father entered the kitchen from behind him and shook his hand. "I wish I could stay and chat, but we must get going. I'll see you later then? Oh, Lily will be home by 4." He added. My parents nodded and waved goodbye. When we were out the door, I thought of something.

"James, how did you get here?" I asked.

"Oh, Sirius set me up with a few connections." He said vaguely. I was alarmed when he said Sirius. Usually when it involved Sirius, law breaking was involved. Seeing my expression, he added, "Don't worry. This method isn't illegal or anything." _Screeeeeeeeech!_ A huge blue bus turned around the corner and abruptly stopped right in front of us.

"Knight Bus for James Potter an' Lily Evans?" A tall, skinny, relatively young man with a beard asked.

"That's us!" James said.

"Well, come on in!" The man replied. James allowed me to get in first and followed me right after. The bus had an interesting décor on the inside, the curtains and bedspreads were beige and seats were the same color as the outside of the bus.

"Lily, I suggest you buckle up, this could get bumpy." James warned me as we took two seats in the middle area of the bus, between the rows of beds.

"All ready, yeh? Drive Ernie, DRIIIVVVVEEE!" A voice with a Jamaican accent yelled from the front of the bus. The voice didn't wait for our response and instead, the bus started, going at full speed, and thankfully, I was buckled, other wise I would have flown out of my seat.

"What is this?" I asked, while I was gripping my seat as thought it depended on my life.

"The best type of Wizarding Transportation there is!" James replied nonchalantly. He was enjoying the passing scenery outside and wasn't at all concerned about the speed of the bus and Ernie's driving. "Just sit back, and relax! Ernie up there won't let us crash!" James said as he pried my hands off the seat. "It'll be fine! I won't let anything happen to you." He said smiling. I continued breathing heavily. _In, Out_. I reminded myself. Once I loosened up a little, I realized that it wasn't so bad, and could be rather relaxing.

"Muggle family, Ernie!" The Jamaican voice yelled from up front. Ernie slammed down the breaks and I would've definitely gone flying out of my seat, if it weren't for James, who held on to me tight. Only when my head hit his chest did I realize his arms had been around my waist almost the entire ride.

"See?" He told me once I regained my posture, blushing furiously.

"Don't muggles see us?" I asked, the thought just occurring to me.

"Nope, that's what's cool about it. Unless it touches them, they don't see or feel a thing!" James replied excitedly. I had to admit, magic could do wonders. The bus then skidded to another nasty halt, and I once again, fell into James' chest. I blushed furiously, trying to regain my sense of direction. Upright again, I unbuckled myself and followed James out the bus.

"Well, that was definitely interesting." I told him, trying to smooth out my shirt and fix my hair to look presentable to James' parents. Just thinking about it made me terrified. Would they accept me? Suddenly I became aware of my outfit. What if they were slightly old fashioned, and thought it was too revealing or something?

"Well, here we are!" James said enthusiastically, but still held bit nervousness in it. I'd been so busy thinking about his parents that I didn't notice we were walking and were already at the front door! I looked around at the rest of the house. The Potters were an old Wizarding family, I knew that, but they were also _very_ wealthy, and their house, oddly enough, didn't show it one bit. It was as normal as my house. "Mum, Dad, we're here." James said, tentatively, opening the door.

"What was the first thing you said when you first wrote to us from Hogwarts?" A male voice yelled out from somewhere.

"Dad! But she's…_She's right here_!" He gestured me, flailing his arms. "How am I supposed to answer that?" James wailed back. I raised my eyebrow at him. What was this?

"James, you answer it with the correct answer!" A female voice instructed him firmly, but I could detect the hint of amusement. James glanced at me.

"I said I'd seen a red-headed angel." James mumbled back.

"What was that?" His father asked, clearly trying to hold back laughter.

"Merlin, are you trying to embarrass me? I SAID I'D SEEN A RED-HEADED ANGEL!" He bellowed, and started to turn beet-root red. His parents came out from the room next door clutching each other and laughing hysterically. I was biting my lip in a failing attempt to not laugh. James stared straight ahead, getting redder by the second.

"Maybe you should explain to Miss Evans why we had you answer that." James' mother suggested as wiped a tear from her eye and regained composure.

"My parents, being targeting Aurors, feel the need to check to make sure I'm not a Death Eater in disguise trying to kill them or something. So they ask a question every time I enter the house that only _I_ can answer. 'Course when you came, they asked the question that would embarrass me most." He said, throwing a menacing glance towards his parents, who once again erupted in laughter.

"Sorry son, but you should've seen your face! I haven't seen anyone so embarrassed since I jokingly asked Peter if his mother was single!" Mr. Potter said, howling in laughter. James just rolled his eyes.

"I see where you get your pranking bones from, James." I told him. He smiled.

"Mum, Dad, when you finally decide to act your age, this is Lily Evans," He said. "But, it seems you already know _way_ too much about her." He muttered to himself.

"Hi, Mr. Potter, Mrs. Potter." I said, and stepped forward to shake their hand.

"Hello, Lily." Mr. and Mrs. Potter chorused and shook my hand. "We've heard SO much about you for the last five years. There's not a letter where James mentions you!" They exclaimed and I blushed. Normally, I would've been uncomfortable, but the way they were talking to me made me feel like they accepted me already.

"Mum, Dad, don't you think you've embarrassed me enough for one visit!" James' strained voice came from behind us. Mr. and Mrs. Potter burst into more fits of laughter and I just grinned. The Potters are very amusing.

"But James honey, you've kept us waiting for five years to meet this girl. And you haven't stopped talking about her since you saw her on the train on your first day!" Mrs. Potter said as she went into the kitchen. James sighed and shook his head. Mr. Potter finally stopped laughing enough to suggest that James should show me around. He nodded violently, grabbed my hand and dragged me upstairs. Once upstairs, he looked around to make sure his parents were out of sight.

"Sorry about that. They're a bit…excited." He said, turning red. I laughed. His parents were hilarious. But I did wonder, was what they were saying true? Did he really talk about me that much?

"'Red-headed angel' Cute, James." I smirked.

"Hey, I was _eleven_. I wasn't as creative. How's 'strawberry shortcake'?" He asked, grinning. I gave him a little shove.

"I'm not _that_ much shorter!" I shrieked.

He ruffled his hair and walked down the hall, bringing me to a large room. "This is my parent's room." He said, pointing to a room that was as big as my kitchen and living room combined. The room was filled with pictures (moving, of course) of the family. The Potters obviously were like the Prewetts and Weasleys, who valued family. It wasn't just a place where they lived, it was actually _home_. We left his parents' room and he brought me across the hall. "This is my room." He told me, pointing inside. The room was unnaturally neat. We walked in and there were Quidditch posters everywhere.

"Puddlemere United, huh?" I asked.

"Yeah, you support any team in particular?" He asked, taking a seat on the bed. I shook my head.

"Your room's really neat." I commented, sitting down next to him.

"Yeah, mum must've cleaned it up." He said. I was glad he didn't say anything about house-elves. I've always thought the use of them was quite cruel.

"So when do you want to come over to my house, get to know my parents a little better?" I asked.

"How's next week?"

"Sure, but I'll have to check which day because _Vernon_ is coming sometime that week too." I told him with a shudder. Vernon and James were complete opposites. Vernon was uptight and pompous while James let himself loose. It might actually be interesting to see them in the same room together.

"James! Something from Hogwarts is here for you!" Mrs. Potter screamed up the stairs. We went downstairs and into the kitchen. On the counter lay a letter with the unmistakable Hogwarts seal on it. James picked it up and was about to open it when another owl came through the window. It dropped the letter it was holding onto the counter and flew back. The new letter had my name on it!

"Nothing gets by Dumbledore, does it?" He chuckled, handing me the letter. James and I took our letters and moved into the family room.

"Open at the count of three." He instructed. "1…2…_**3**_!" I opened my letter and gasped. _It was our O.W.L results!_ I got:

_Potions- O_

_Herbology- O_

_Charms- O_

_Astronomy- O_

_Defense Against the Dark Arts- O_

_Arithmancy- O_

_Ancient Runes- E_

_History of Magic- O_

_Muggle Studies- O_

_Transfiguration- O_

I knew I'd mess up Ancient Runes. I let out an exasperated sigh.

"Swap?" James asked, and we exchanged papers. He got:

_Potions- E_

_Herbology- E_

_Charms- E_

_Astronomy- P_

_Defense Against the Dark Arts- O_

_Care of Magical Creatures- A_

_Divination-T_

_History of Magic- D_

_Transfiguration- O_

"Why the _bloody hell_ do you take MUGGLE STUDIES?" He asked me incredulously.

"It's so I can learn it from another point of view…and I only went to Primary School. I never got around to the more interesting concepts, like DNA, genetics, and such. Also, the muggle studies teacher doesn't always know what she's talking about" I told him. "Why do _you_ take Divination? That subject doesn't make sense."

"I dunno…Sirius and Peter were taking it. It was either that or Arithmancy with Remus. At least in Divination I can do homework I'm too lazy to do out of class." He said with a shrug.

"Lunch is ready!" Mr. Potter said. We went into the kitchen and sat down at the table. I put some food on my plate and started eating.

"So what was in those letters?" Mrs. Potter asked after a few minutes of silence.

"O.W.L results." James replied with a shrug.

"Oh, how'd you do?"

"Not bad, I passed everything I need to become an Auror." He replied.

"James, are you implying you _failed_ something?" Mr. Potter asked disapprovingly.

"Well, I kinda failed Astronomy and Dinivation…" James said looking down at his food. Mr. Potter actually laughed.

"Just like me, son. It's alright, I'm sure you did well in Defense and Transfiguration, they're your best subjects."

"Yeah, O's. And E's in everything else except for Care of Magical Creatures. I got an A." He told his parents.

"And how about you, Lily?" Mrs. Potter asked. I could feel my face grow a little hot.

"I, uh, did well, got what I wanted to." I replied quietly.

"Oh stop being modest, will you? She got O's in everything except for Ancient Runes, where she got an E, but we all know that subject's impossible." James said. I could feel my face grow even redder.

"Well done! Maybe you can teach James a thing or two!" Mr. Potter said with a bright smile.

"Yeah, and then maybe you can teach him about modesty, too!" Mrs. Potter said, laughing.

"So Lily, what do you plan on doing after Hogwarts?" Mr. Potter inquired.

"I've always wanted to be an Auror." I told him, putting my fork down because I finished. I'm a pretty fast eater.

"Auror, well you certainly have the grades." Mr. Potter laughed. Mrs. Potter got up, and took the plates and food into the kitchen and left the three of us in the dining room. _DIING DOONG!_

"That's the door bell." Mr. Potter crinkled his nose. "We weren't expecting any guests. James, go get the door. Take my wand." Mr. Potter said, handing James his wand.

"Lily, I'm going to make you invisible and give you my wand." Mrs. Potter said.

"No, no." I protested. "Why don't you summon James' wand from upstairs and give that to me?" I asked. She nodded and summoned James' wand. It came, zooming from upstairs. Mrs. Potter handed it to me and then casted the Disillusionment Charm on me. I felt a tingling sensation on my body and when I looked down, I saw nothing.

"Lily, follow me." James instructed as he headed out the Dining Room. "Lily, are you still with me?" He asked and I responded by giving his hand a squeeze. "Okay, I'll open the door now." James said, his wand pointing to the door like mine. He opened it halfway.

"Prongs, mate!" I heard. James opened the door completely. In the door way was _Sirius_! He, too, had grown over summer but wasn't as tall as James.

"What is the Marauder secret?" James asked, his wand still pointed at Sirius.

"The two of us and Wormtail are unregistered animagi-you're a stag, I'm a dog, and Wormtail is a rat." Sirius said, just above a whisper, presumably so James' parents wouldn't hear.

"Okay, it _is_ you!" James said loudly, closing the door. James stood next to me, still holding my hand, and Sirius on the other side of him. Mr. and Mrs. Potter emerged out of the dining room.

"Oh, Sirius, good to see you!" They exclaimed in unison.

"And you, Mr. and Mrs. Potter." He replied with politeness I didn't know he had. I figured he could be a real charmer when he wanted to.

"Now, where's Lily?" Mrs. Potter asked, pointing her wand in the air.

"Right here!" I replied from next to James. She pointed her wand at me and muttered something. I felt the tingle like last time and I reappeared.

"EVANS!" Sirius exclaimed and gave me a bear hug so tight that I couldn't move. He just hung on to me, while James was growing impatient and his parents were doubled over in laughter.

"OI! Get OFF my girlfriend!" James screamed at Sirius.

"Wow, you usually only let boys hug Evans for 3 seconds. You let me have 12!" Sirius said with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"That's because you're my best mate and I know you wouldn't try anything." James said, raising an eyebrow challengingly.

"But she's so cute…and cuddly!" He exclaimed, inching towards me again. James put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't push your luck." He said through his teeth.

"Prongs, you get jealous WAY to easily. I'm going to have fun this year." Sirius exclaimed and James' parents started laughing once again.

"Really guys? Did I not get the memo about 'Embarrass James day'?" He asked, throwing his arms up. Somewhere in the house, a clock struck four. "Oh, Lily, we need to get you back home." He turned to Sirius, "Wanna come?" Sirius shrugged his shoulders.

"Sure, it'll give me a chance to explain to you why I'm here." Sirius said in a low whisper.

"Bye, Mr. and Mrs. Potter!" I said, shaking their hands once again.

"Hopefully we'll see you again!" Mr. Potter said with a final wave as I followed James and Sirius out the door.

"How'd you get here?" James asked Sirius.

"Same way we're going to get Lily back home: Knight Bus. I'm a regular customer of theirs so they just show up when I need them." Sirius said with a little shrug. _SCREEECH_. The familiar sound came from around the corner and stopped right in front of us like last time.

"Welcome back, son. Going with these two?" The tall man asked Sirius, who just nodded in reply. "Alright, get on!" We stepped into the bus. James and I sat in the seats we were in a few hours ago and Sirius sat across from us. The Jamaican voice once again instructed Ernie to drive and we were off, going at a dangerous speed. This time, I was ready, and was able to sit back and relax.

"So, I came to your house because, well, my parents kicked me out." Sirius said, looking down against his hands.

"Your parents kicked you out of the house?" I asked, unable to believe this. What cruel family would kick their own child out?

"It's his family; they don't accept that Sirius doesn't share the same views as them. They support You-Know-Who" James explained. I just nodded, now understanding. It also explained why Regulus, his brother, never talked to him, and when he did, it usually ended up with Regulus being reduced to a puddle-literally.

"So when they saw my O.W.L results, they realized that I was taking-and passed- all the classes for being an Auror. They were especially mad at the_ O_ in Defense." Sirius said with a grin. I couldn't imagine what he had to be happy about. His parents just _kicked him out_ for Merlin's sake!

"Padfoot, you can stay at my house for the rest of your life if you want to. You practically live there anyway. And my parents would agree to it in a second. They think of you as 'the son they want'" James said with a smile.

"Thanks, I really appreciate it." Sirius said with a small grin, but his face looked a lot more relieved. The Knight Bus skidded to a stop and I remembered to hold on this time, but James' arm was around my waist once again, and this time I didn't fall into him.

"We're stopping here because we need to pick up someone from Spinner's End." The tall man said as James and I realized this wasn't my house. Then I remembered… Spinner's End…that's where Snape lives. We got down from the bus and coming down the road-I gulped-was _Snape_!

"Lily, you live near Snape?" James whispered to me.

"Yeah, that's how I met him _before_ school started." I whispered back. Snape looked up and he saw us three, just standing there with our mouths open, looking at him.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the Quidditch star, the _mudblood_, and the homeless." Snape sneered. I groaned inwardly. Why did he always have to provoke them? James and Sirius lunged forward, trying to hit Snape, but I grabbed the back of their shirts.

"No, no, no! Don't even think about trying to fight him! Let's just go. _NOW_." I said urgently. I didn't think they'd use their wands and I didn't want to think about what would happen if they fought him the muggle way. James and Sirius grunted and stepped away from Snape. James put an arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer as we walked around him. Boys and their jealousy.

"He must be in touch with Regulus, that's how he knows." Sirius muttered to himself.

"Padfoot, it's fine. Let the world know you refused to go to _that_ side." James said defiantly. The rest of the walk to my house was in silence.

"Mom, Dad, we're home!" I said, swinging open the door and stepping in. My mom came from the kitchen and her eyes went wide, seeing that Sirius was here.

"Hello, Mrs. Evans, this is Sirius, he's our friend, and one of my best mates." James said, shaking my mum's hand.

"Hello, Mrs. Evans, how are you?" Sirius asked, shaking my mother's hand and giving her one of his infamous smiles and my mom _blushed_. I rolled my eyes. Petunia came from the kitchen with her mouth wide open. I laughed to myself. She's probably insanely jealous right now. I just came home with the two best-looking guys in our year and one of them is my boyfriend!

"And you, you must be Lily's sister!" Sirius said, stepping to Petunia and kissed her hand. Petunia blushed furiously and just grinned at Sirius. I'm sure he was having fun with this.

"Well, I'd love to stay, but we need to get going home again. Bye Lily, Mrs. Evans, Petunia." James said, dragging Sirius along with him out the door.

"That Sirius, he's a charmer, isn't he?" My mom asked.

"Yes, mom, yes he is." I said with a shake of my head.

* * *

**A/N: I hoped you liked it! Thanks to all of you who reviewed last chapter, and please REVIEW AGAIN!**

**Also, I'm in the process of writing my first one-shot. Keep on the look out for that! **

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**

**Thanks, **

**SAM :)**


	9. James vs Vernon or Lily vs Petunia?

Chapter 9

"Mom, he's going to be here soon, tell Lily to get dressed!" Petunia screamed from her room.

"I am, I am, maybe if you'd gotten out of the bathroom quicker, I would've been out earlier!" I screamed from my room.

"Girls, be quiet and _just get ready_. Vernon and James are supposed come in 5 minutes!" My mother screamed back, most likely exhausted from the bickering. I left my room, wearing my favorite jeans and green top that matched my eyes. I did my makeup, which was only a little bit of eyeliner, and straightened my hair.

"I'm ready!" I sang as I skipped downstairs.

"So am I. And please, be more _mature_, Lily." Petunia huffed as she came downstairs all rigid and what was supposed to be an "elegant and mature manner".

"Tuney, you need to loosen up." I told her as we walked into the kitchen.

"Don't. Call. Me. _Tuney_. I am eighteen! You gave me that nickname when I was ten!" She screeched.

"Yeah. Then there was actually some _peace_ in the house!" My dad said from the corner of the room. He was sipping his tea and reading the newspaper, as usual.

"DAD!" Petunia and I screeched together. "YOU NEED TO GET READY! THEY'LL BE HERE SOON!" We said, dragging him up and pushing him up the stairs.

"Okay, okay, I'm going!" As soon as he was out of sight, Petunia rounded up on me.

"When your freak friend gets here, I don't want any talk of that _nonsense_. Vernon doesn't know about it, and I intend to keep it that way, okay?" Petunia warned me.

"Yeah, yeah. There's a Secrecy Act, you know." I told her with a dismissive wave of my hand.

"And say _normal _things. Don't say things like 'Marlin' or 'Hippopotamus'."

"You mean _Merlin_ and _Hippogriff_." I corrected as I turned on the telly.

"Whatever." Petunia said as she sat down on the couch.

"There have been mysterious disappearances across the country and equally mysterious murders. There is no sign of how these people were killed, no blood, and no other evidence. The best detectives in the country are baffled." The reporter said solemnly.

"This is _your_ lot, isn't it?" Petunia sneered. I was surprised; I didn't think she'd piece that together so quickly.

"Yeah." This was definitely Death Eater's work. The people who were killed were probably muggles or Muggleborns. I had to remember to warn mum and dad about this, and tell them not to roam around during the night. Even during the day it was quite risky, but we can't live a life of paranoia, can we? A knock came at the door.

"He's here! Mum, Dad, get down here!" Petunia screeched, heading towards the door. Mum and Dad came downstairs. Petunia opened the front door and suddenly her posture changed and her voice did, too.

"Come in, Vernon." She said in an oddly aristocratic voice. I raised an eyebrow. This was definitely going to get interesting.

"Vernon, nice to see you again." My mother said politely. Take that Petunia! When mum saw James last, she attacked him with a hug!

James: 1, Vernon: 0

"And you, Mrs. Evans. Good Day, Mr. Evans." He said, loosely shaking my father's hand. My father's straight face faltered. He always said that you can tell a lot about a man's character by the way he shakes hands. Another knock came at the door.

"I'll get that." I said, stepping past everyone. I opened the door, and it was James, of course. "Did you get taller? _Already_?" I asked incredulously. That boy grew two inches in _a week_! He just nodded and smiled and pulled me into a quick hug.

"Mrs. Evans, good to see you!" He said, hugging my mum. She hugged him backed and, embarrassingly, blushed.

"And you, James."

"Mr. Evans, how are you?" He said, shaking my father's hand, and to my relief, firmly. My father smiled wide.

James: 2, Vernon: 0

"Hello, Petunia." He said quickly, and then he turned to Vernon. He stood in front of him. They looked at each other as if sizing each other up. Only then did I take notice of what they were wearing.

James was wearing ordinary muggle clothing-jeans and a t-shirt. Vernon, however, was a bit more dressed up, like the rest of us. He was wearing a dress shirt and jeans.

James: 2, Vernon: 1.

Oh well, James was still in the lead.

"Hello, you must be Vernon." James said, politely, holding out his hand. Vernon just looked at it in disgust, as though he just stuck it in the garbage.

"Well, Petunia, Lily, why don't we go into the kitchen so your dad, James, and Vernon can bond?" Mum said abruptly. I was glad. Things were getting awkward.

"Sorry about that." I whispered to James before slipping into the kitchen. I looked back in time to see him shrug.

"James knows not to talk about magic in front of Vernon, right?" Mum asked me casually.

"Did I _forget_ to tell you guys about the Secrecy Act?" I asked, even though I was absolutely sure I did. "He shouldn't be talking about magic in front of muggles, and even if he did, he wouldn't be able to prove that magic existed because we're not of age for another half a year and can't do magic outside of school until then." I told them quickly and out of breath by the time I finished talking. My mum nodded in satisfaction but Petunia narrowed her eyes, as though she expected us to do something like that. I turned my back on her and started setting the table.

Within a half an hour, we were done, and all of us were sitting at the table. My dad was sitting at the head of the table, and my mum at the other. James and I were across from Petunia and Vernon. The first five minutes were quite boring, because Vernon was droning on about his drills and a company he was going to start.

"So James, what are you planning to do after school?" My dad asked when Vernon paused to take a bite.

"Well Mr. Evans," James paused. He glanced at me and the Vernon. I stiffened. It just occurred to me that he was a pureblood and wouldn't know the first thing about muggles. And he couldn't quite say outright that he wanted to become an Auror. "I want to become a cop, more specifically detective work." He said, surprising me. How had he known what to call it? He wasn't a Legillimens, too, was he? My father nodded in appreciation. He definitely liked the idea of a cop better than opening up a drill company.

James: 3, Vernon: 1.

"A cop?" Vernon snorted. "They're just after money and the job's only for people who have nothing else to do." He spat.

"Well, Vernon, I'll have you know he wants to live off of his _own_ money, so he wants to work. James' family is _very_ rich and if he wanted he could live without working and same with his children!" I shot back.

"Well, I can see why you're interested in him, then." Vernon said snidely. My mother coughed uncomfortably. My dad just looked between the two of us and I could feel Petunia's furious glare on me. James found my hand under the table and gave it a squeeze.

"Lily. Upstairs. NOW." Petunia said, her eyes shooting daggers at me. I kept a straight face and followed her upstairs. This definitely was _not_ going as planned. Instead of a contest between James and Vernon, it had turned into a contest between me and Petunia. This was going to get ugly.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" Petunia screamed as soon as we got upstairs.

"What was your boyfriend thinking?" I retorted, crossing my arms over my chest.

"He was just making conversation!" She defended.

"HE INSULTED WHAT JAMES WANTED TO DO!" I said throwing my arms up. She was taking _Vernon_'s side? 'Just making conversation' Yeah, _sure_. Why did she have to act like he was an innocent little puppy?

"WELL MAYBE HE'S RIGHT! THOSE RICH PEOPLE ARE JUST GREEDY AND AFTER MORE MONEY!" She screamed back. "AND MAYBE VERNON'S RIGHT ABOUT WHY YOU'RE INTO HIM TOO!" I've had enough.

"WHAT THE _BLOODY HELL_ ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? I'M NOT AFTER HIS MONEY! BUT I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF YOU WERE AFTER VERNON'S!" I yelled. I didn't regret it, in fact, I felt it was true. But it still wasn't nice to say, and I just sunk to her level. Before I knew what was happening, Petunia slapped me. _Hard_. I fell back a little, but then caught myself. I held my hand up to where my cheek was. It was burning up. Petunia looked for a moment like she was surprised at herself. Then her expression turned fierce. So she'd done it by accident but she didn't regret it. What did I do that she treated me like this? It just wasn't fair! She's jealous that I'm a witch and she isn't. It was five years ago, and she should just give it up. Instead, this is how she treats me!

I turned away. My eyes burning, tears were running down my cheek, and went into the bathroom. I washed my face so it didn't look like I was crying, reapplied my make up and tried to get rid of the red handprint on my cheek. It just wouldn't go away. I gave up and left the bathroom. Petunia wasn't there so I assumed she went downstairs to finish lunch. When I entered the dining room, I could feel everyone staring at me, but I kept my eyes on my mom and her expression softened when her eyes lingered to my cheek. She gasped and looked towards my sister, who had her face in her food. I slipped into my seat and just ate.

"Are you alright?" James whispered to me, holding my hand. I just nodded. My cheek was still burning, and I was still very furious. I looked up at the table. Petunia was muttering to herself as she stabbed her pasta with her fork. I had a weird feeling that she was pretending it was my head. Vernon was just eating his food as thought nothing happened. My father was doing the same thing, but occasionally shifted uncomfortably. He refused to meet my gaze, but he knew I was looking at him. Mum looked at me sympathetically and smiled. James was doing the same thing as my father, but still held my hand under the table. I had a weird feeling they all heard what went on upstairs. The rest of the meal went on in a deafening silence. You could cut the tension with a knife.

"Petunia, Lily, please help me with the dishes." Mum said as she cleaned up the table. We nodded and picked up the remaining plates to put in a kitchen. We knew what was coming. "Explain." I waited for Petunia to say something, but she was just looking down at her shoes.

"Well mum, basically what happened was that we started with a shouting match and it ended with Petunia slapping me." I told her. I figured it was a good, unbiased overview of what happened.

"Did not!" Petunia said in a feeble attempt to defend herself. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah. Because I just _conjured_ a red handprint on my cheek." I told her sarcastically.

"You even talk freak. _Conjured_? Only FREAKS say those things." Petunia scoffed.

"Petunia, Lily. Stop it right now. You two are grown girls. You should not be engaging in this childish banter. Lily, apologize for yelling at your sister and using that tone with her. Petunia, apologize to your sister for slapping her and calling her a freak." My mom instructed with a stern voice we rarely hear.

"Sorry Petunia." I muttered, not meaning it entirely.

"Sorry Lily." She replied, but I could tell she didn't mean it one bit. But, I guess that was all I was going to get from her. We went back in the dining room, and I felt a little better.

"Lily, can I talk to you?" James asked, gesturing the backyard. I nodded and made my way to the back.

"It better be just talking." My dad muttered as I passed him. I pretended not to hear and just followed James out.

"So what'd you want to talk about?" I asked, moving away from the view of the door.

"You've seen the muggle news recently, right?" He asked. So he knew about the telly, too. I made a mental note to ask him how he knew about muggle things.

"Yeah." I replied, wondering where this was going.

"Well, then you've seen all the attacks. It's Death Eaters. And You-Know-Who. They've gone crazy with murdering and kidnapping. And, I want you to be careful, alright? I don't want anything to happen to you." He said morosely, stroking my cheek. Sometimes it really killed me how sweet he could be. Next thing I knew, his lips were pressed against mine. His hand that wasn't on my cheek was rubbing circles on my back. One of my hands was entangled in his mess of hair and the other on his chest. Our lips were moving in perfect unison and I felt like I was flying. I felt like I was going to be happy forever, being with James. I could hear his voice echoing around my head, 'I don't want anything to happen to you.' Soon we broke apart, in need for air. Both of us were breathing heavily, chests heaving. We stood there for a while, just holding each other. After a few more moments I remembered my parents, my sister and her boyfriend back in the house. James seemed to remember then, too.

"We should get back in the house." He told me, color rising to his cheek, jerking his head in the direction of my house. I nodded. I took my hand out of his hair and let go of him, he did the same but I could feel the reluctance. I didn't blame him. He waited, what, five years for this to happen? And this really was our first actual kiss. My first, too, now that I think about it. It all went so perfectly, I figured those things only happened in the sappy romance novels Petunia reads.

When we went back into the house, Vernon left and my parents and Petunia were talking about something in the living room. I assumed it was about me and James because once we entered the living room, they immediately stopped talking. James and I took the empty couch across from them.

"We need to discuss something with you guys." I told them, taking a breath. My mom tensed up, sensing my depressing tone. My dad's eyes widened and Petunia looked bored. I looked at James, telling him to start.

"Well, I know you have heard of the mysterious disappearances and deaths. And this is because of us...er, our lot. There is a Dark Wizard on the loose. He uses his magical powers for evil. He believes that muggleborn people, such as Lily, shouldn't be allowed to learn magic or even have it. He also doesn't like non-magical people, such as you three. He has a large number of followers. Some simply agree with his views, but there are some who join him in the murdering." James told them. I wish he didn't tell them so straightforward, but there really was no other way to say it, was there?

"And we're just asking you guys to be _careful_. Don't go out at night, and even in the day time, stick with crowds, they can't attack if there are too many people. And if you find yourselves up against one of them, just _run_, not in a single direction, but zigzag, if you can. Don't try to attack these people; they will kill you even before you can raise a fist." I added. My dad's and Petunia's eyes were wide with fear and my mom was at the brink of tears.

"As for us, Hogwarts is safe. Professor Dumbledore, the one who told you about magic, is said to be the only person this Dark Wizard fears. As long as we are under his roof, we are safe." James assured my parents. Of course we left out the part about Hogsmeade. But, we were convinced Hogwarts was safe…during the day time, at least. My parents nodded meekly. Petunia looked like she wanted to say something, presumably blame me for everything that was happening, but she decided against it.

"Is this Dark Wizard really this _powerful_?" My dad asked skeptically.

"Yes, dad, yes he is." I told him. "Remember that bit of accidental magic I did when I was 9, when mum wanted to cut my hair, but I refused? The electricity went crazy, the lights started flickering, the telly started turning on and off. Mum's hair even started to grow shorter! And this was just _my_ ACCIDENTAL magic. This is an extremely powerful Dark Wizard who's had seven years of training and is doing all of this purposely. He could make something like what I did happen to every house in Britain with the simple flick of his wand!" I told them. I think I scared them, but that was the point, wasn't it? So they'd be careful? And now that they understand the magnitude of You-Know-Who's power, they'd _really_ be careful. My dad nodded, pale in the face. My mother was now crying and Petunia had her eyes closed, her face paler than usual, and she was slouched back in her chair.

"Sorry we had to drop this on you like that, but there really was no other way to explain it." James apologized. "And I really must get going. My parents'll be really worried." He stood up. We followed him to the door. I walked out the front door with him and Petunia and my parents left us alone, saying their good-bye's.

"Well, that was…interesting." I told him, rocking back and forth on my heels.

"Yeah, it was _unexpected_." He said, running his hand through his hair.

"Well, at least you beat Vernon."

"I beat Vernon? At what?" He asked, genuinely confused. I laughed.

"At being the better boyfriend. My dad was really impressed with you. He seemed to dislike Vernon a lot." James sighed in relief.

"Well, that's good." I remembered something important.

"How'd you know all that muggle stuff?" I asked, remembering James' explanation on his career choice. He smiled meekly.

"Well, it was pretty much to impress you. I wanted to make it a surprise, so I didn't take Muggle Studies. Instead, I had Moony tutor me. It helped both of us. I learned the ways of Muggles and he was able to pass Muggle Studies with O's." He said ruffling his hair a bit. I flung my arms around his neck.

"That's so sweet!" I squealed. He was surprised by my reaction and it took him a while to return the hug.

"Well, if I knew you'd have this reaction, I would've told you _ages_ ago!" He joked. I laughed along with him and realized something.

"How'd you get here?" I asked him.

"Oh, with the help of my parents and my invisibility cloak, I told you about that, didn't I?" I nodded. "My parents charmed a broom to make it come only to your house and then back to my house. If it's at one place it goes to the other. And to hide it from muggles, I just use the invisibility cloak."

"Oh. Wow, that's amazing magic." I told him, stunned. Magic could do anything and everything, couldn't it?

"Yeah, it's something Dumbledore taught them." He said, crouching down and looking around in the rose bushes in front of my house.

"You hid the broom in the rose bushes? My dad'll kill you if he finds out." Unlike most families, my dad was the gardener.

"Er, I hope I put it here…I kinda forgot." He said, ruffling his hair. He was doing that a lot today. I rolled my eyes.

"Here, lemme help." I said, moving in front of him.

"Nice to know my girlfriend wants me to leave as soon as I can." He muttered to himself. I hit him on the arm.

"You're a prat."

"But I'm _your_ prat." He whispered into my ear, and wrapping his arms around my waist. I rolled my eyes and gave him a small kiss on the lips. I turned back around to find the broomstick again, but someone behind us coughed. We turned around slowly, and my hand was in my pocket, in case I needed my wand, but I couldn't whip it out right then and there, what if it was a muggle? It wasn't. It was _Snape_! And this time, _Regulus_ was with him. James looked like he was about to kill both of them. I held him back with an arm.

"Don't take out your wand; you'll be more tempted to use it. Don't even use it at all. That way if they do, they can't frame us for attacking them first or something." I whispered urgently. He nodded

"Good thing you're logical, smart, and beautiful…you'd make a good Auror, did I ever tell you that?" He said smiling. I blushed and a girly giggle escaped my mouth. Regulus gagged and Snape snickered. Merlin, I forgot they were here. We had to remember not to lose ourselves in the face of danger.

"Regulus, Snape." I said, giving them each a nod.

"Mudblood, Potter." Regulus replied. James lunged forward. I grabbed his hand.

"Don't even bloody _think_ about it." I told him sternly and he backed up.

"Potter, good to see you're the _man_ of the relationship." Snape sneered sarcastically.

"That's not of _your_ concern." I snapped.

"Oh, feisty, are we?" Regulus said, raising his eyebrows. He stepped closer to me, licking his lips. I closed my eyes in disgust and shuddered. I was scarred forever. James put a protective arm around me and glared at him in repugnance.

"Alright, Black," I spat. "You and Sir Slimy have three seconds to get off my parent's property or I will call the muggle police." I told them. This wasn't Hogwarts. They couldn't just stroll around like they owned the place as they usually do.

"Whatever. We'll get you later, Mudblood, we will. You better watch your back. You won't always have Potter to save you." Regulus sneered as he left.

"Gits." I muttered, turning back around. My voice was confident but I didn't feel it, I was truly a little scared, but not for myself. What if they went after my family? Snape knew where I lived, and now so did Regulus.

"It's okay. I won't let anything happen to you." James must've mistaken the terror on my face fear for me.

"It's not me I'm worried about. It's my parents. And Petunia. You-Know-Who does that all the time, killing off an entire family because he has a problem with just one of them." I said guiltily. I couldn't live with myself if Petunia and my parents got killed because of me.

"It's alright. Everything's going to be okay. You're still in school and you don't pose a threat to them." James said, but I could just feel the 'yet' he wanted to add to the end. I sighed and nodded. There wasn't much we could do but be careful. I walked towards the rose bush again and tripped.

"I think I found your broom." I told him from the ground. He helped me up. We felt around the area of where I tripped and I felt some cloth catch my hand. I pulled on it and underneath was a broom.

"Thanks." He picked up the invisibility cloak and the broom and set it aside, apart from each other. "I guess this'll be the last time I see until the start of term again?" He asked, frowning.

"Yeah." I said, suddenly really depressed. He put his hands on my waist and pulled me closer to him. I put my arms around his neck and hugged him, burying my face in his chest. He stroked my cheek and my hair and we pulled apart.

"It'll only for a month and a half." He assured me, but he seemed to be telling himself more than me. I nodded all the same, and watched him throw the invisibility cloak over himself. Then the broom was lifted into the air. I felt his hand squeeze mine from under the invisibility cloak. He mounted the broom and took off with a _whoosh_. I waved, knowing he would be looking back. This time, I _knew_ he said 'I love you.'

* * *

**A/N: Well, I'm pretty happy with this chapter.**

**Tell me what ya think!**

**Love, **

**Sam :) **


	10. And It Begins

Chapter 10: And It Begins

"Lily, are you sure you have everything?"

"Positive mum, but if I forget anything, you can owl it to me, okay?" I assured her, but mostly to make her feel like I still needed her. Parents had a hard time letting go.

"Oh, Honey, we'll miss you! Write once a week, okay?"

"Lily, I feel like it was just yesterday we were sending you off for your first day! Now look at you, all grown up and off to your sixth year at Hogwarts!" Dad said proudly.

"Dad, I didn't know you could be so sentimental!" I laughed.

"And Lily, we're sorry we couldn't convince your sister to come." My dad added, frowning.

"It's alright, nothing new there. Oh, the train's going to leave soon. I have to get going. See you at Christmas!" I said hugging each of them. I was happy to say I finally reached my dad's height.

"Bye Lily." They said, waving as I backed away from them and got onto the train. I sighed to myself. Saying goodbye never gets any easier.

The vacation had been interesting. James and Vernon came over at the same time, creating even more of a rift between me and Petunia. Although, I overheard her telling her friend over the phone that James was attractive, so that counted as a win, right? Petunia also said to mum-rather loudly-that she was glad Snape was no longer around. My parents didn't have anything to say to this, but I think they were glad, too.

Now, going back to Hogwarts, I was more excited than ever. I couldn't wait to see Mary again. I hadn't talked to her ALL summer, and neither had Sirius.

I was going to be happy to see James again, of course. I hoped Sirius was comfortably living with the Potters-he was so much like them. I knew Remus had a good summer, too. I'd been writing to him the most because James was usually too busy to write. He said that he'd been teaching Sirius Quidditch with hopes that he'd be good enough for the team this year. I didn't really write to Peter but it was fine because he went to Romania the entire summer.

"Lily!" I heard and spun around to see James, even taller than before.

"James!" I squealed, giving him a hug. It felt nice to see him again and back in his arms.

"Where's Sirius?" I asked, looking behind him.

"Miss me, Evans?" I spun around and Sirius caught me in his bear-hug.

"1…2…3 TIME'S UP!" James said loudly.

"Prongs, you're no fun!" Sirius said, letting go of me.

"Let's go to our compartment" James said, going towards the end of the train. He stopped at the very last compartment, which Remus and Peter were already in. The Marauders had claimed this compartment since their very first train ride.

"Moony, Wormtail! Good to see you again!" James exclaimed

"Hi Remus, Hi Peter." I said. Sirius pushed past me and enveloped Remus in a hug.

"Guys! You didn't tell me you were gay!" Peter snickered.

"_I'm_ not, I can't exactly speak for Sirius." Remus said in a strained voice. "Sirius. LET GO!" When Sirius finally did let go, Remus flattened his hair again and fixed his clothes. James rolled his eyes.

"For your information Wormtail, I'm NOT gay." Sirius huffed. We all laughed and I levitated our trunks to the racks over head.

"Moony, I wish we'd thought of doing that-it took forever to get our trunks up there!" Peter whined I rolled my eyes and sat down next to James.

"Have any of you seen Mary? I asked once the train started moving. They all shrugged their shoulders and replied, 'No.' I stood up. "I'm going to go look for her. Remus, remember Prefect's meeting in a half an hour." I opened the compartment door to go out but James caught my arm.

"You're not going out there alone. Let me come. The Junior Death Eaters'll be less likely to attack if there's two of us." He said, standing up. I sighed.

"Alright, let's go." We search half the train and asked a few people if they'd seen her, but no one had

"Lily, she's not here anywhere. Maybe we'll find her back at the schoo-What?" I grabbed his arm.

"LOOK!" I pointed to the compartment we were in front of. Inside were some boy…and MARY! But she looked different. Her normally curly hair was pin-drop straight and had red highlights. Her clothes were short, tight, and revealing, and she was FLIRTING! She leaned into the boy and kissed him right on the lips!

"MARY!" I screamed and barged into the compartment, with James closely behind me.

"What the _bloody hell_ happened to you?" I asked. Why was she kissing this random kid? She was _infatuated_ with SIRIUS! Now, she no longer looked like my innocent best friend. She looked like one of the bints Sirius used to date! James coughed and turned away, clearly uncomfortable with her outfit. The boy who was in the compartment with her wiped his mouth several times and ran off. It might have been my imagination, but I think he looked relieved that we barged in when we did. Mary sighed loudly and stood up to face us.

"Lily, Italy happened to me. When I went home in June, my parents told me they were getting divorced. So I ran away that night, I went to Italy. I learned things about myself there, Lily. One of the most important things I learned was that I shouldn't tie myself down to one guy. Oh, James, can you tell Sirius I'm breaking up with him? Thanks." James raised an eyebrow. We were probably thinking the same thing: What had gotten into her?

"Mary, you aren't acting like the best friend since I was eleven acts like!" I exclaimed.

"Exactly, which is why we shouldn't be friends anymore." She said casually and started filing her nails. James put a comforting arm around me. Mary looked up and raised her eyebrows, as thought she was wondering why we were still here.

"Come on, let's go." James whispered. Once we left the compartment, I exploded.

"What was she _thinking_? What was she _doing_!" I screamed as James rubbed circles on my back. "Wasn't that Benjy Fenwick back there? Doesn't he have a _girlfriend_? Who he absolutely _ADORES_? What was she _thinking_? I repeated. "I cannot believe she would go that far! And then breaking up with Sirius like that? Telling _YOU_ to tell him! It's like she has no more _respect_! UGH! And to think I have to share a dorm with...with _that_ for the next two years!"

"Well, well, Mudblood having a tantrum?" A voice behind us said. I turned around, bringing my wand out. It was Mucliber. I put my wand to his throat. It brought me joy to see he was panic-stricken.

"Mate, I suggest you leave now. It's not wise to bother Lily Evans when she's mad. Been there, done that; I landed in the Hospital Wing-literally. I was there a week and she actually _fancied_ me when she did that!" James told him. Mucliber took another look at me, then James. He followed James' advice; He sprinted down the corridor.

"COWARD!" I screamed after him, putting my wand away.

"I'm surprised you could get your wand out so quickly. I've only seen my parents get them out _that_ quickly." James said as he opened the door to our compartment.

"Did you find her?" Remus asked as soon as we sat down.

"Oh yeah, we found her. She was dressed like a bint. Reminded me of one of Sirius' ex's." I told him, taking an angry bite out of a chocolate frog he handed me.

"HEY!" Sirius said, lifting his head from the pile of food he got.

"Speaking of Padfoot's ex's, you've got another to add to the list. Mary told me to tell you that she's breaking up with you." James said.

"Oh, that's good. I was going to break up with her anyway. I realized this summer I don't need girls… as anything other than friends." He added seeing my expression.

"Wow Padfoot, you're more of a Hufflepuff than I thought." Peter joked.

"I know what you're implying, Wormtail! I'm not gay! I'm still attracted to girls and WILL STILL take notice of them and admire their beauty." Sirius huffed.

"_Take notice of them and admire their beauty_? Are you sure you're not a Hufflepuff in disguise?" James asked.

"Didn't know you could use _imply_ correctly, either. Maybe you're more Ravenclaw than we thought, too." Remus joked. Sirius threw a chocolate frog box in his direction.

* * *

"That prefect meeting was boring. It's much less interesting when you've spent a year at it." I told Remus, sitting back in our seats in our compartment with James, Sirius, and Peter. James put an arm around my waist.

"Yeah." He replied.

"I'm really glad Amelia Bones is Head Girl, she deserves it, I heard she got the highest grade on her Defense O.W.L since Dumbledore himself!" I told him.

"Yeah, and you were _especially_ glad Amos Diggory got Head Boy." Remus smirked. I could feel James stiffen next to me. He looked at James' expression and continued. "Yeah, she couldn't stop looking at him, could you? And not that Diggory minded; he couldn't stop looking at you, either." Remus snickered. James looked about ready to explode. His mouth was pressed into a thin line and his eyes were cold and bearing into mine. I was trying to stifle a laugh.

"Oh, Merlin, Remus, I can't take it anymore." We burst out into shaking laughter and started laughing even more at James' befuddled expression. Sirius and Peter just exchanged glances, shrugged and continued their discussion.

"Will someone tell me what the _bloody hell_ is so funny?" James said.

"You are, Prongs!" Remus said, smiling, his eyes twinkling in amusement.

"What?"

"I made the entire thing up, just to see how you would react. And Lily, I believe you owe me five galleons?" He said. I handed the money over.

"It was worth it." I told him.

"So you guys made the entire story up? And then _bet_ on it? Moony, I'm going to kill you." James said.

"Hold your hippogriffs, if it weren't for Remus, I'd be patrolling with _Diggory_ for the rest of the year." I said in disgust.

"Yeah, I wasn't lying about the part where Diggory wouldn't stop looking at Lily. He was practically undressing her with his eyes." Remus exaggerated.

"He was not, stop winding him up!" I screeched.

"That's what you think. Innocent girls, they don't notice a thing. Guys know the looks that other guys give girls. Then again, we're still questioning whether Moony's even a guy." Sirius said.

"Git." Remus said, punching Sirius on the shoulder.

"That little perverted Hufflepuff! He should go stick his head down the loo. Thinks he's so good at Quidditch! Didn't catch the snitch _once_ last season." James muttered to himself.

"But being serious-"

"Moony! You're not Sirius, _I'm_ Sirius. Get it right!" Sirius huffed. I rolled my eyes.

"Anyway, James, Lily, you have to be careful. Lily's well, how do I put this?" Remus said, running a hand though his hair in a very James-like manner. He was probably nervous too.

"Here-Lily's gotten hotter over summer. _Way_ hotter." Sirius said frankly. I fidgeted in my seat and felt my face turn red. Not exactly something you wanted to hear from your boyfriend's best friends.

"And that's just Sirius, who's going easy because you're his best mate and you're right here. If you heard what McLaggen was saying about her back at the station, you would've torn him apart with your bare hands." Peter added. James' eyes widened and his arm around my waist pulled me closer, and I could feel my neck _and ears_ turn red. This was quickly turning into an embarrassing and awkward conversation.

"They will regret anything they say, they will _lose their eyesight_. They'll melt! They'll burn at the stakes! Their heads'll be chopped off! They-" James ranted, fire burning in his eyes.

"Oh, will you shut up? Lily will be fine. She can defend herself." Remus told him with a roll of his eyes. I nodded in agreement. The last thing I need was one of the Marauders following my every move. And, the subject was thankfully changed.

"And mate, you've grown about one and a half feet over the summer. Once they all realize you two are still going out, they'll back off, you look scary as hell." Sirius told him as he pulled out an old blanket from his trunk. I looked towards the window and Peter was already in a comfortable slumber. James nodded meekly.

"Wake me up when we reach Hogwarts, will you?" Sirius said as he closed his eyes.

"Me too" Remus nodded, yawning. In five minutes both were snoring.

"Do they usually sleep on the train rides?" I whispered to James.

"No, they stay awake for me, because I can never sleep on the train. But now that you're here, they sleep." He told me. He bit his lip, like he wanted to ask me something, but wasn't sure if he should.

"What is it?" I asked, encouraging him a little.

"Well, I was wondering. That kiss," He didn't have to clarify, I knew which one he was talking about. After all, we only shared one. "Was it your first?" He asked so fast, it took me a moment to think about was he asked.

"Yeah. It was." I smiled. He grinned ear to ear.

"I accomplished the top two things on my life goal list."

"Which were?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"One: Have my first kiss with you. Two: Be your first kiss." He said, turning a bit red. I laughed and put my arms around his waist and my head on his shoulder.

"You know what I realized?" I said after a few moments.

"What?"

"There's no Lucius this year. I'm sure _they'll_ feel lost without their head Junior Death Eater." I laughed at the thought.

"Who do you think they'll make the new head?" James said with amusement.

"Well, it could be Avery. You know what he did to Mary last year." I said.

"Or it could be Mucliber."

"Nah, did you see how he ran earlier, when he found out I was angry?" We laughed.

"It could be Snape, too." He said. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, they're going to make the slimy, skinny, half-blood dork their new leader." I said sarcastically.

"He's a half-blood?" James asked, surprised.

"Yeah, you didn't know that?" I asked, equally surprised. Had he really been telling everyone he was a pureblood? James just shook his head in response.

"But, it would be smart of them to make him his leader. You know, he's made his own spells." James said.

"Yeah, but they haven't been the smartest, have they?" I said

"Hey guys, how many Slytherins does it take to light up a wand?" Sirius said groggily.

"How many, Sirius?" I asked, humoring him.

"Four. One to light it, two to argue over whose father in the Ministry could afford someone else to light it for them, and another to take the credit for it." He said with a grin. Our laughter woke Remus and Peter.

"Are we there yet?" Peter asked, stretching.

"We should be soon." James replied.

"I guess we should go change into our robes, then? James, you stay here with Lily and Sirius, Peter, and I will go change." Remus said, as they grabbed their clothes. "By the way guys, remember, full moon lands on the end of this month, and Lily, it lands on the day we're supposed to patrol." He said as he left.

"WAIT. WHAT!" James screamed and got up, pulling Remus by his collar back into the compartment. "Moony, we can't leave her to patrol _alone_!"

"Then why don't you not come, and go with her?" He asked, rubbing his neck.

"No, no, I _have_ to come! It's a marauder tradition! Can't you convince Diggory or Bones to change it?" He asked desperately.

"Well, I am well acquainted with Amelia, so maybe I can convince her? Or maybe I'll convince her to go with Lily?" Remus asked.

"Really, guys, is this necessary?" I asked, getting impatient. They were making too big of a deal of this.

"Or maybe we can get Benjy Fenwick to go with her." Sirius pitched in, completely ignoring me.

"Ha, he couldn't even stop Mary when she just tried snogging him." James snorted.

"Yeah, but Mary's _a girl_." Peter pointed out. "You remember what he did to Lucius last year? And, he's in his seventh year. They'll be scared of him."

"Okay, it's settled then, I'll ask him." Remus said, leaving with Peter. I sighed to myself.

This was going to be a long, long year.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you guys liked it! **

**PLEASE REVIEW. I ONLY GOT ONE LAST CHAPTER! **

**I know you guys can relate to school/work interfering with writing, so please bear with me if I don't get chapters in once a week anymore :/**

**Thanks,  
SAM :) **


	11. Add Drama to the List of Problems

Chapter 11: Add Drama to the List of Problems

I sat at the table, simply picking at my food. I was physically in the Great Hall, but mentally I was elsewhere. My brain kept replaying the night before.

_I just stared into the fire on my favorite couch in the common room. I'd lost track of how long I'd been there, but I knew it was late in the night, for the only noises in the common room were the roaring fire and my breathing. My thoughts were purely on Mary. I couldn't believe I'd lost her. I couldn't believe she decided to run off to Italy instead of seeking my help. Did she not trust me? Sirius went _directly_ to James when his parents kicked him out, and they are no closer than we were. She was the second best friend I lost, Severus being the first. I lost two of my closest friends in less than half a year, I realized. I felt a warm tear run down my cheek, and soon a few more followed. I didn't bother wiping them away; there would soon be a whole river to join these few. I wasn't much of a crier, but when I cried, I cried a lot._

"_Lily, is that you?" A deep voice said, from behind me. I didn't say anything or turn around. I knew who that was, and he knew who I was. He came over and sat down next to me. He folded the cloak he was holding, which I figured was the infamous Invisiblilty Cloak, on his lap. "Lily?" He whispered, bringing his face down near mine. I turned to face him. My sad, crying, green eyes stared into his surprised, then confused, then concerned hazel eyes. He looked at me for a while. "Is it Mary?" He asked softly. _

_I nodded my head in response. He put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me to his chest. I wrapped one of my arms around his waist and put the other on his chest. I let the tears flow more freely. My thoughts wandered from Mary and all the good times we had together to Severus and how I lost him and finally to Petunia and her hatred for me. I didn't know how long I'd been crying, but enough to soak James' shirt. He didn't mind, he held me and stroked my hair and just let me cry. I figured it was about time to pull myself together, and told myself that what happened, happened. And I couldn't do a thing about it. I looked up at James and saw his hazel eyes stare down at me. They were full of pain and sadness. _

"_Sorry." I whispered, gesturing his shirt. He shook his head._

"_Are you alright?" He asked, his head leaning closer to my face. _

"_Yeah." I breathed. He moved his head closer near mine. Our lips met and the kiss was nothing like our first. This one was passionate and hungry. His hands moved up and down my waist and pushed my chest against his. One of my hands was entangled in his hair, the other on his cheek. We separated, in need for air. All I could think was, "Whoa." I rested my head on his chest and his warm arm was around my waist._

_Next thing I remembered, I felt a hand shake my lightly and a soft low voice say, "Lily…Lily?" My eyes shot open and I saw a pair of familiar hazel eyes. I sat up and looked around. The clock on the fireplace said it was 4:30. Had I slept here, with James, the entire night?_

"_Sorry, I had to wake you up; it's time for me to work out." He said, pointing to the clock. _

"_It's okay." I said groggily, rubbing my eyes. He picked up his cloak and headed towards the door. _

"_I'll see you at breakfast, then." He said, over his shoulder. _

"_Bye." I replied and sat down on the couch. I had nothing to do, because classes were only going to start today. I was really tempted to watch James as he worked out through my window, like I did that one day last year, but I told myself that stalking him like that would be creepy. I did head up to my dorm, though. I looked around at my dorm mates and noticed that the bed next to mine, the one Mary usually occupied, was empty and there was no trunk near it. She must've moved in with the bints across the hall. I sighed and started cleaning up my trunk and sorted through my quills and book I needed this year._

"Good morning, Evans! How are you today?" Sirius' joyful voice brought me out of my reverie.

"Why are you so happy…and awake?" I asked as he sat down across from me. James often told me about how hard it was to get Sirius up in the mornings.

"Well, James started taking him on his workouts every morning. They started sometime over summer." Remus said, and sat down next to me. Sirius nodded proudly and started to pile his plate with food.

"Yeah, and we're trying to convince Peter to join us. With any luck, he'll grow a bit more and lose a bit of the weight he put on over summer."

"Don't think that's happening anytime soon. I found a stash of food in his trunk this morning." James said, taking a seat on the other side of me. He gave me a quick peck on the cheek and started eating.

"Where is he anyway?" Remus asked, taking a swig of his pumpkin juice.

"The rat refused to wake up! He kept telling me to sod off and even threw a half-eaten Treacle Tart at me. Merlin knows where he got _that_ from." James said. Peter did eventually com in for breakfast, unluckily when McGonagall was handing out schedules. She told him that he needed to have his robes washed and his face scrubbed and gave him a detention for lack of hygiene. Remus groaned because his idea for trying to keep the Marauders out of detention failed-and school only started today. On the other hand, Sirius nearly died laughing and congratulated Peter for 'landing a detention in the quickest time in the history of the school.' Peter beamed at this and I rolled my eyes, of course.

"The first class I had was Advanced Potions, with none other than the Slytherins. I didn't get that at all. For the five year I've been here, they made us take all of our classes with the Slytherins. The two most polar opposite groups of the school. Why did we have to take our every class with people we absolutely despised? It was asking for disaster.

"Oh, look, we have Arithmancy _and_ Muggle Studies on the same day!" Remus told me excitedly.

"Evans, now why would _you_ be taking Muggle Studies?" Sirius asked. "It's just a waste of time for you!"

"Yeah, I am a muggleborn, but I didn't get to learn everything else about muggles, like the inventions, literature, and sciences. Just the basics."

"You know, Fabian and Gideon wrote to me the other day, about Auror training?" James said, finishing his breakfast. "They say it's pretty difficult. Moody's the new Head Auror, and is already hammering them about _constant vigilance_."

"Who are Fabian and Gideon?" I questioned. They sounded familiar. Peter, Sirius, and James gasped loudly.

"How do you not know who they are?" Peter asked.

"Fabian and Gideon Prewett. They're the previous generation's pranksters. These three here,"" Remus gestured Sirius, James, and Peter, "Idolize them." He said with an eye roll.

"Yeah, and the funniest thing about their family, they have a younger sister named Molly. Like, who names their first two children such odd names like Fabian and Gideon and then name their third child something so normal like _Molly_?" Sirius snickered.

"Oh, it's time to go to potions." James said, getting up. I nodded and grabbed my bag from underneath the table. We were out of the Great Hall when I noticed something was wrong.

"Wait, where are Sirius and Peter?" I asked, looking around.

"I don't even want to know." Remus said, walking back towards the Potions classroom down in the dungeons.

"They'll show up eventually." James said, taking my hand. We were halfway there when a felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around. It was Amos Diggory. I could hear James growl and I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Hi, Lily." He said with a grin. His eyes landed on James, who was a few inches taller than him. "Hi, James. Quidditch going well?"

"Yeah, it's good." James said, without smiling.

"Heard you lost a chaser."

"Yeah, we'll need to replace him." James said, still keeping his face expressionless. I could tell he wanted to strangle Amos, but was really trying hard not to. I gave his hand another squeeze and shot him a look that said 'don't try anything'

"So Lily, I was wondering if you wanted to go to Hogsmeade with me? The next one's in a few weeks." Oh no, he didn't. James was just absolutely red right now.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, ASKING MY GIRLFRIEND OUT _RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME_?" James screamed, lunging at him. He definitely would've hit him if I hadn't held him back.

"James, calm down." I warned, pulling him back, but he didn't seem to be listening to me.

"Do you not see this," He asked, holding up the hand that I was holding. "Are you _blind_? Or are you just that arrogant?" He screeched. Amos seemed to recover from James' yelling, but then, he said the worst possible thing.

"Wait, wait, wait, what? When I asked, Black and Pettigrew told me you two weren't going out, that you were just friends!" Amos said, taking a step back. He looked at James, and clearly seemed intimidated by his height and strength.

"You ignorant Hufflepuffs! You'll believe anything anyone says! You honestly believe _Sirius_? One of the greatest pranksters this school has ever seen? Are you really that desperate? Enough that you'll go for a _younger_ girl, too?" James said, enraged.

"Listen, mate, I'm really, really sorry. I had no idea." Amos said, backing away. James looked like he wanted to hit him even more.

"Let's go. No need to cause more drama, we're attracting a crowd." I whispered to him.

"Let me hit him once." He begged, finally acknowledging that I was there.

"No, we're going to be late for potions. You can get back at him, in a nonviolent way, later." I promised. He grinned and gave me a peck on the lips. He threw a menacing glance at Amos and took my hand. I sighed a breath of relief. We turned around the corner and saw Remus, Sirius, and Peter laughing hysterically.

"What is wrong with you two, leading him on like that?" I yelled at them. "Remus, you too?" I asked in disbelief.

"Oh, no, I wasn't apart of it, it's just that when I walked ahead of you guys, and saw Sirius and Peter, I asked them what they were doing and they told me what I told Amos. We had a perfect view of everything that happened!" He said, bursting into more laughter.

"Did you see the look on Diggory's face? _Priceless_!" Sirius said, clutching Peter's shoulder, doubled over in laughter. I rolled my eyes.

"We're going to be late for Potions and if you guys don't hurry up, we'll leave without you." I threatened.

"Now, Lilyflower, you wouldn't do that!" Sirius said, wiping a tear from his eye. I, once again, rolled my eyes. I headed down the hallway towards Potions and dragged James along with me. Soon enough, they followed, but still laughing. We entered the classroom and it seemed as though the lesson had _just_ started.

"Lily, love, it is so rare that your late, is there any reason?" Slughorn asked, glancing at James. A couple of the Slytherins snickered.

"I'm very sorry Professors, but I needed to put a few students in line on my way down here. I believe they will join us shortly." I told him, taking a seat next to James in the back. Sure enough, Remus, Sirius and Peter came through. Sirius must have been out of his mind, because he actually _announced his arrival_.

"You can start the lesson now, Professor, I'm here!" Sirius said, proudly, taking a seat next to me.

"Mr. Lupin, were you part of this shenanigan Lily had to stop earlier?" Slughorn asked Remus, before addressing Sirius. "And Mr. Black, that will be ten points from Gryffindor because of your cheek, and you can come sit up here next to Ms. Nott." He said, gesturing a pretty girl in the front row. Sirius took a look at her and smiled wide.

"Gladly, professor." He said, moving up to the front.

"Mr. Lupin, you owe me an explanation." Slughorn said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes professor, well, you see, I was _trying_ to stop it, but I couldn't and that's when Lily came along, and she set them right. But, these two were about to skip class, so I had to drag them down here." Remus invented. Slughorn raised an eyebrow, as if he questioned what Remus was saying, and I didn't blame him, Remus wasn't the best liar when it came to teachers. But, he just nodded, and looked at Sirius and Peter.

"Mr. Black and Mr. Pettigrew, you both have detention with me tonight." He told them.

"Er, professor? I already have detention with Professor McGonagall tonight." Peter replied, not even questioning why they had detention. I suppose they were so used to it by now that it was built into their schedules.

"Very well then, you have detention tomorrow night, Mr. Pettigrew." Slughorn said. Then, he turned to the board and started teaching whatever he was teaching. I didn't bother listening, because I had already read the chapter and even brewed the potion, at home. I was falling asleep when a note landed on my lap. It was from Remus.

_Do you know what's wrong with James? He's been awfully quiet since that thing with Diggory._

I looked over at James. He was looking straight ahead, but not paying attention to Slughorn. His mouth was set in a straight line, and it looked like he was in deep thought.

**Yeah, I did. Maybe he just has nothing to say?**

I sent the note back and looked at Remus and shrugged. Remus sent the paper back

_Just keep an eye on him_.

When it was time to start our potion, I worked with James. He didn't say anything at all. I asked him to get the ingredients, and he got them. I asked him to pour them in when I told him to, and he did exactly as I said. And there were times when he sort of zoned out into deep thinking for a few minutes, but then he'd go back to not talking. When James wasn't looking, I scribbled a note to Remus.

**Remus, he's not talking, at all. I'm kind of worried now.**

I flew it over to where he was. He read it and shot me a worried glance. He scribbled something back and when James wasn't looking, he sent it back.

_Ask him, once you finish your potion_.

I looked up and nodded. We were almost finished, but I felt bad for Remus, who was working with Peter, who was pretty clumsy when it came to Potions. When James and I did finally finish our potion, I took a breath.

"James, are you alright? You've been awfully quiet." I asked hesitantly. He looked at me for a few seconds before telling me.

"Yeah, I've been thinking, like is this how it's going to be all year? Today's just the first day and every guy who's single is already after you! It's crazy. And now that they're older, they won't be scared away as easily they used to. And then there's this whole mental battle going on in my head because I want to protect you even more, but I know that you wouldn't like that. And then I'm worried about my stress levels right now because I'm worrying so much! I didn't expect you to become twice as hot over summer, if that was even possible, and become the bait of every single guy in the school! And-"

"James, _honestly_." I cut him off. "Are you REALLY worried about that? This'll just go on until they find out what Mary's become. Because once they all realize there's a new _single_ girl who's perfectly willing to go out with any of them, they'll all start after her. This won't last long. A few days, max. It's obviously easier to get a single girl to go out with you rather than one that's taken. And, you should know that I'd rather _die_ than cheat on you. Everything will be fine and this will all blow over before you know it." I told him reassuringly. This boy worried about the smallest things. He smiled at me and held my hand. I took a quick look around the room, and noticed that the number of people in this class was fairly small. Then again, these were the Slytherins, and this was Advanced Potions. Of all the Slytherins, the only one I could name was Snape, who was glaring angrily at either me or James. He looked away once he saw that I was looking at him. A few minutes later, Remus sat down in his seat next to me.

"If Peter would stop being so scared of Slughorn, he'd do a lot better in Potions, that's how he passed with an E." He sighed. I laughed. That kid was honestly full of surprises. I looked over at Sirius, who was with the girl. He was being his flirty self, but this time around, there was something different with the way he did it. It was like he took it all as a joke. Maybe he really _was_ serious about giving up girls.

"You know, Quidditch tryouts are going to be later today, you want to come watch?" James asked. I nodded enthusiastically. Now that I was going out with James, I didn't have to pretend to be disgusted by Quidditch.

* * *

The late afternoon rolled around and James was ready to pull out his hair. I was in the middle rows, pretty high up, and I could see his anger and frustration clearly on his face, but I didn't know what. I couldn't hear from up here. The people who were already picked to be on the team looked a bit apprehensive about even _being_ on the team now. I went down to the pitch, to see if I could soothe his anger a bit, and try to sort out what's wrong. I wasn't a prefect for nothing.

"James, what's the matter?" I asked, coming closer to him.

"Everything. _Everything_! We are missing a chaser!" He screamed, waving his arms around. "And I couldn't put Sirius as beater, those two over there were a perfect team." He whispered to me. I nodded understandingly and looked around at the crowd. There were quite a lot of people who were still hopeful. My eyes landed on a rather skinny and small boy. He looked like he was in his third year. I looked back at James, then to Sirius, and remembered something.

"I have an idea." I told James. "You can play chaser! You said that you played chaser while trying to teacher Sirius to be a beater, right? And you're perfect for it, you're getting too tall to play seeker anymore. And that kid," I pointed to the third year, "Can be your new seeker." I told him. His eyes went wide and his mouth formed an O. He slapped a hand to his forehead.

"Why didn't I think of that? That's absolutely _genius_, Lily!" He picked me up and spun me around. After returning me to the ground he looked at his two chasers, two beaters and keeper. "Alright guys, I'm going to try to join you as a Chaser, and you," He pointed to the boy, "Will be Seeker. What's your name?"

"John Aplinian." The small boy replied, stepping forward.

"Okay, everyone except these six, get in the stands if you want to stay, or just leave if you don't." Most people left to stay. I sat next to Sirius in the bleachers.

"So are you upset about not making it?" I asked him.

"Nah, I figured this might happened. Those guys are really good. Besides, it might give me more opportunity to do more pranking!" He smiled evilly. I groaned to myself. When will the boy grow _up_? I looked towards the Quidditch Pitch. It was working perfectly. The chasers worked pretty well together, and with a little practice, they could be extraordinary. James was a bit rusty because he'd played seeker for the entire three years he'd been on the house team. John was doing pretty well, though. He seemed to have adopted James' strategies pretty quickly. He stayed above the pitch, directly in the center. Occasionally, he'd move around, but his movements were quick. His broom was pretty good, too. It was the newest Cleansweep.

"Okay, guys, you six are definitely on the team. Everyone else, better luck next year!" James said, getting down from his broom. I got down from the bleachers and ran towards James.

"That was good, especially since you guys never practiced together before." I told him.

"Yeah, and thanks for the idea, by the way, it was completely genius. I had no idea you knew that much about Quidditch!" He told me, excitement lighting up his face.

"Oh, yeah, I read Quidditch through the Ages once. And I've read other Quidditch-related books. And I did play a few times at Mary's house. But I'm not that good, at all." I told him, turning a little red. I could only fly around a little, and at a certain speed. I could turn, but not well.

"Maybe I can teach you one day?" He asked, hopefully. I nodded.

"Definitely." We walked back to the castle, hand-in-hand, as the sun set behind us.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Hey guys, glad I got this chapter in! It took me all week, writing an hour per day, staying up pretty late to write it. I'm proud of myself. :) **

**A big thanks to you guys who reviewed, favorited, etc. I REALLY appreciate it! **

**REVIEWREVIEWREVIEW!**

**Love,  
SAM :)  
**


	12. Sirius' Mistake

Chapter 12: Sirius' Mistake

The first month rolled by and I soon realized that no day was uneventful with the Marauders. The day after Amos asked me out, James did get back at him. Amos walked into the Great Hall that day with enlarged teeth, pink robes, and his usually neat hair was disheveled. He scowled at anyone who laughed at him and took away points if they made fun of him. Later that day, he chased Sirius around the school for telling him I was still single. It was tons of fun, watching Sirius run around the lake, screaming like a girl. When Amos did finally catch him, I had to go in and break it all apart, as a Prefect. They each got about two weeks of detention from an enraged McGonagall.

The Gryffindor Quidditch team was going pretty well and only a few days ago they had their first game and won by a pretty good margin. James was proving to be an exceptional chaser and I was convinced that John would soon become a better seeker than James ever was. Their only threat was Slytherin, who improved their team because Lucius left and wasn't holding them back. Everyone knew his father had bribed the captain's father to put Lucius on the team.

Sirius was being more Sirius than usual, especially since he did really give up girls. His pranks were going overboard, claiming he needed to make up for James, who no longer had time for pranking because of our homework load (but I really think he gave up because he knew I wouldn't approve). Peter suddenly became Sirius' new pranking partner, and much to the dismay of the teachers, he proved to be as bad as James was.

James actually decided to take up Muggle Studies, to be with me. It was very shocking when I walked in and saw him sitting in my seat. He told me how he took the O.W.L for it, and passed with such a wonderful grade that McGonagall couldn't possibly tell him he couldn't join.

Mary was behaving as she promised she would on the train ride, snogging almost half the boys in the school. They boys didn't mind, the ones that were still single were _very_ desperate, and as long as they were good-looking, Mary was snogging them. I caught her a few times during my patrols, in a broom closet, which was very awkward and disturbing. It made my heart ache every time I saw her, like every time I saw Snape.

Snape was also acting a little oddly. He glared at James every time we passed him in the hallways, and he was starting to look scarier by the day. His hair gets greasier everyday and he somehow got paler, and his noise, pointier.

Today was the day that I had to patrol without Remus by my side. It was the full moon today, and Remus enlisted Benjy Fenwick to patrol with me. I told him and James it was completely unnecessary and they were making a big deal out of it, but they wouldn't hear a thing against it. I finally gave it up, telling myself that no harm was being done, so now I was patrolling the corridors with Fenwick and it was quite boring. He was just humming to himself, not really saying anything. I wasn't complaining, I enjoyed silence, but not at ten o'clock at night, with sounds from outside being louder than ever. We were turning a corner when something caught my eye. We were on the first floor, so it was open to the grounds. I saw the Whoomping Willow, and four figures go towards it. I sighed in relief to myself, knowing it was just James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter. But, as they entered the tunnel that was supposed to be at the bottom of the tree, I saw another figure emerged from the dark. I gasped to myself. _Someone had seen them_! I wanted to go over there and investigate, but I knew Fenwick wouldn't let me out of his sight; it was strict directions from James. So, I figured I could make something up.

"Hey, Benjy, I'm really getting tired and I know for sure there'll be no one down here. Why don't we give it up for tonight?" I asked him. He looked at me in relief.

"Yeah, okay." We walked back to the Gryffindor Tower together and entered the common room with the password, "Succurro lemma" I waited until he was out of sight and in his dorm before leaving the Common Room again. I went down the stairs as fast as I could, because I might be too late. I stood in the shadows, because I heard a few voices, and saw two figures, right in front of the tree. I walked closer and closer. When I was only about 30 feet away, I recognized the voices. It was impossible not to. I'd known them for over 5 years. It was James and Snape. I moved closer, to hear if I could get more of what they were saying.

"No, you _can't_ go down there! How many times do I have to tell you?" James voice angrily said.

"Potter, I'm warning you to move aside, or I will hex you." Snape threatened, pulling out his wand.

"Fine, hex me then. I refuse to let you go down there. I don't care what Pad…-Sirius told you. _You cannot go down there_." James said firmly. Snape attempted to push past him, but James held him back by the collar. Didn't the greasy imbecile realize what James was trying to do? He was trying to save him! And Snape probably knew that Remus was down there, he told me that theory over and over again since about the middle of fifth year. I knew by then it was true, but I also knew that Snape hated the Marauders, and if he leaked out that information about Remus, they'd be crushed, which was probably Snape's life-long dream. James grabbed Snape's wand out of his hand and threw it aside. Snape raised a fist. He was going to try to fight James-muggle style! I couldn't let that happen!

"STOP IT!" I screamed, stepping forward. They both froze and their eyes went wide.

"Lily! What are you doing here?" They yelled and looked at each other, shocked they said the same thing. They let go and glared at each other, then at looked back at me. "You need to get out of here!" They once again, screamed together. This was honestly getting creepy. I ran closer to them, so we could talk with out screaming.

"Lily, you really need to leave. Now. And take _him_ with you." James said in desperation.

"Yes, that was exactly what I was going to do." I assured him.

"Great, now take him and leave. Peter can probably hear us arguing up here and will warn us." James said. Just as he did, I saw a rat, who was obviously Peter run behind the tree. Peter in his human form emerged.

"Lily? What are you doing here? You need to leave! And take that slimy bastard with you!" Peter gasped. A howl followed by barking came from the tunnel. Severus stepped back. Peter whispered to James, "He's worse than usual tonight."

"Merlin, why today, Moony? Why today?" James said to no one in particular. "We'll never be able to get them back to the castle in time. Okay, Lily, you need to take my cloak. Take it; it should fit both you and Snape. As much as I wouldn't mind him being a werewolf, Moony would be devastated if he found out he turned someone into a werewolf." He pulled out a piece of parchment. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good. Okay, Dumbledore's in his office, pacing. Go there, make sure he knows Snape knows Moony's secret." He handed me the cloak and I looked around for Snape. He was already halfway to the castle. I heard the barks and howls get closer. "Lily, GO!" James screamed at me. I threw the cloak over myself and ran as fast as I could. I knew Snape was already back in the castle, because I could see his figure, watching from where I first spotted the five go near the tree. I could hear the howling and barking grow louder behind me, and I just ran as fast as I could. I knew they couldn't see me, but I was scared, nevertheless. The howling and barking eventually faded, and I assumed they were headed for the Forbidden Forest. It only made sense. I reached Snape, who was still looking in the direction of the tree. I took off the invisibility cloak.

"I'm taking you to Professor Dumbledore." I told him emotionlessly. He glared at me.

"And why is that?" He asked curtly.

"We need to make sure you don't tell a single _soul_ about Remus." I replied.

"No."

"What?"

"No, I'm not going to Professor Dumbledore." He repeated. I sighed. "Where are Potter, Black, and Pettigrew?" He asked. How was I supposed to get him to Dumbledore? Maybe it could wait. Dumbledore would surely ask, like Snape, where James, Sirius and Peter were. There was no way I could make something up! Maybe I could just wait in the common room for them to come back. They usually came back around 1. It was 10:30 now, so I'd just have to wait 3 hours. Snape probably wouldn't wake up anyone and tell them in that time…hopefully. I gave Snape a look and walked to the common room. I told the Fat Lady the password and was quite relieved to see that no one was in the common room and my favorite couch across the roaring fire was open. I set the invisibility cloak down next to me and waited.

At about 1:30, three hours of _very_ patient waiting, James and Peter stumbled into the common room.

"Lily, what are you doing here?" James asked.

"I was waiting for you guys." I replied simply.

"Did you tell Dumbledore?" I shook my head.

"What? Why not?" Peter asked. James let out an exasperated sigh.

"Lily! This was important! Snape could've told the entire Slytherin House by now!" James said, raising his voice a little.

"_Because_, what was I going to tell Dumbledore when he asked why you guys were there and then didn't come back with me?" I pointed out.

"She has a point, mate." Peter told him.

"Alright, we'll have to go now." He pulled out his map. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." He said, pointing his wand at the map. "He's still pacing in the off. Does the man not sleep?" He muttered to himself.

"Let's go." I said, giving him the invisibility cloak. "Wait, where are Remus and Sirius?"

"Moony's in the hospital wing and Padfoot is probably roaming around the castle. He had a bit of a row with Prongs." Peter explained. James didn't say a word, and took the invisibility cloak. He went through the portrait hole with me and Peter following. We walked under James' invisibility cloak…kind of. We were hoping our feel couldn't be seen in this darkness and Mrs. Norris or Filch wouldn't come strolling along now. James was keeping an eye on her using the map, so we managed to avoid them. We finally reached the gargoyle after taking five or six "shortcuts".

"Password?" It asked in a low voice when we took off the cloak.

"Bullocks. Do either of you happen to know this password?" James asked.

"Lemon Drops." I told it. As a prefect, I do get to know the Headmaster's password. We went up the revolving staircase and James put away the invisibility cloak. We were silently arguing over who should knock when a voice came through the door.

"Come in." Dumbledore said politely. We hesitantly opened the door and found ourselves in Dumbledore's round office. I'd been in here several times, so the beauty no longer ceased to amaze me, but it was still amazing. There were numerous possessions of his that only seemed to keep increasing every month. What I found the most interesting were the old Headmaster's paintings. They were all very talkative and very funny. "Pray tell what you three are here for at such a late hour." Dumbledore said, sitting behind his desk. We stood in front of him, rather awkwardly, not sure who should start.

"Uh, Professor, what we're…uh...here for at this late hour is…uh…" James began.

"Something…happened…tonight that we…uh…" Peter tried. I sighed.

"Professor, as I'm sure you know, we as in Sirius, James, Peter and I know that Remus is a werewolf. I was patrolling tonight on the first floor, in clear view of the Whoomping Willow. I saw four figures head towards the tree, but I knew everything was fine because it was just them. But, when I looked again, I saw a fifth figure head towards the tree. I knew something was wrong, so I went to go investigate. As I approached the tree, I saw Snape and James in a fight. It appeared to me that Sirius told Snape how to go through the tunnel in the tree, and Snape was going to try to go through it tonight, but James tried stopping him. Of course, he succeeded, but it was already too late because Remus had already transformed and Snape heard the howling, and ran back to the castle, and I followed. James and Peter remained, at a safe distance, to make sure Remus didn't accidentally kill himself. They said he sounded worse than usual tonight. When Remus returned to human form, they took him to the hospital wing, had a verbal, I hope, fight with Sirius, got me from the common room, and came directly here. Sirius, we think, is roaming around the castle." I finished, figuring it was a pretty good summary. Dumbledore nodded.

"Is there anything you want to say?" Dumbledore asked James and Peter. They both shook their heads.

"Sirius Orion _BLACK_, mixing with _half-breeds_? Has he no shame!" A portrait on the wall said. I read the name. Phineas Nigellus Black. It was another one of Sirius' relatives.

"Phineas, this is not the time. And, you may not run off to your portrait at 12 Grimmauld Place and tell Walburga. Remember, what is said in here, stays in here." Dumbledore warned him. He just huffed in reply. "I believe we need to locate Mr. Black and Mr. Snape." He started writing on two separate pieces of parchment. "Fawkes." He called out when he finished. His large, beautiful, red phoenix swooped down from above. "I want you to give this one to Severus Snape, sixth year dorm, Slytherin tower, and this one to Sirius Black." He told the phoenix. It looked like it nodded in reply. We stood in a few minutes of silence before either one of them finally arrived.

"Please come in, Mr. Snape." Dumbledore said all of a sudden. Snape came through the door, still dressed in his school robes like the rest of us. He looked at Peter and stared at me (James unnecessarily reacted by grabbing my hand). He averted his eyes and began glared at James, who glared back, and his gaze rested on our entwined hands, making James tighten his grip. I sighed to myself. These silent wars were so annoying. He finally returned his eyes to Dumbledore.

"Good morning, Professor Dumbledore. What can I do for you?" He asked a little too politely.

"Oh, nothing right now, Mr. Snape. We are waiting for Mr. Black, who will be joining us in a few seconds." Dumbledore replied. Could the man see the future or something? Sure enough, a knock came at the door. "Please join us, Mr. Black." Dumbledore said. Sirius entered the room, his face expressionless. He only looked at Dumbledore.

"SIRIUS ORION BLACK! HOW DARE YOU MIX WITH MUDBLOODS AND HALF-BREEDS AND BLOOD TRAITORS! WHAT-" Phineas yelled.

"Phineas. That will be enough." Dumbledore told him calmly. Phineas grimaced and started muttering to himself under his breath.

"I asked Fawkes to bring you two here for something that has occurred tonight. I know both of you know what I'm referring to. Is there anything you'd like to say before I continue?" Dumbledore asked, sitting behind his desk again.

"Professor, I didn't do anything wrong." Sirius stated. James let out a sarcastic laugh. I hit him on the arm. Boys could be such idiots sometimes.

"On the contrary, Mr. Black. You told Mr. Snape how to go through the tunnel, which would have killed him if Mr. Potter didn't stop him." Dumbledore replied gravely. Sirius did not respond right away.

"What's my punishment? Suspension?" Sirius asked warily.

"No, Mr. Black. You will serve two months of detention _every night_ starting tomorrow, from 5 to 10 with Mr. Filch. You will not get time for dinner during this time so I suggest you eat beforehand. Additionally, I'm taking 40 points from Gryffindor."

"Alright, Professor." Sirius replied grudgingly.

"Now Mr. Snape, you are not allowed to tell anyone about Mr. Lupin or you will be asked to leave the school. You will have two weeks of detention, weekends included, with Professor McGonagall. The details will be up to her. And, I'm taking 30 points from Slytherin." He said. Snape just nodded, his face inexpressive. "You two may leave now." They nodded and left with a murmur of "goodnight." "You three, hold on." Dumbledore said as we turned around to leave, too. "Now, you three, it will be up to you whether or not you tell Mr. Lupin. Good night." Dumbledore said. We nodded and left the office. James put the invisibility cloak on us and we walked back to Gryffindor tower in silence. I gave the Fat Lady the password and we entered. Sirius wasn't in the common room, so I guessed he decided to sleep in the kitchens.

"I'm going to sleep." Peter said. James and I nodded. "Goodnight." He called as he went up the stairs for the boys' dormitories.

"Are we going to tell Remus?" I asked James.

"I don't know. If we tell him, he'll be really mad at Sirius. If we don't and he finds out, he'll be even madder at all of us." James said in despair. His eyes were hurt and I could tell he wanted to fix things but didn't know how. I sighed and hugged him.

"Everything will be alright." I assured him. And it would, they were the Marauders and they would always stick together.

"Thanks, Lily." He said, stroking my hair.

"We'll talk to them tomorrow. You can fix this." I comforted him. He smiled at me and moved his head closer.

"I love you." He whispered. My breath caught in my throat. This time he actually said it _to_ me

"I love you, too." I whispered back, surprised at myself. I didn't think it would come so easily, but it did. I smiled back at him and our lips met. His hand caressed my cheek and I felt my entire body press up against his. I put my arms around his neck and pushed my mouth against his with a little more force. I felt the familiar giddiness in my stomach. I sighed contently as we parted and looked up into his caramel eyes.

"Goodnight, Lily." He said softly.

"Goodnight, James." I replied, giving him one last hug before heading upstairs.

* * *

"Where are they, lazy idiots." I muttered to myself. It was Saturday morning and I was waiting for James and Peter to get out of their dorm. James left a note on my dresser this morning, saying that we were going to tell Remus what happened last night. He was still in the Hospital Wing and would probably be let out later today. I looked up when I heard something creaking. I looked around the common room. It was empty. Everyone was probably outside or sleeping in late. What else would everyone be doing on such a wonderful Saturday morning? I heard the noise again. This time, I knew it was coming from the direction of the staircase to the boy's dormitories. I heard a few more. It kept coming closer with each _thud_. I listened a little more carefully. It actually sounded like someone coming down the stairs. I sighed to myself. This was obviously James or Peter under the cloak. It was most likely Peter because James wouldn't make all that racket while coming down the steps.

"PETER! TAKE OFF TE CLOAK AND GET JAMES DOWN HERE!" I screeched. His hair, then the rest of his head, and then the rest of his body appeared.

"Aw man, how'd you know it was me?" He asked.

"WHERE'S JAMES?" I screamed at him.

"Never fear! James is here!" James announced from the top of the steps.

"The only one who will be doing any _fearing_ is you if you're ever late again." I warned him. I took his hand and Peter's arm and dragged them through the Portrait Hole. I let go and began speed-walking towards the Hospital Wing.

"What's the hurry?" James asked, his long legs managing to keep up with me. Peter, however, was in a slow jog, struggling to keep up.

"I have homework, you have homework, and the more problems we solve, the more we accomplish. After we tell Remus what happened, we'll go find Sirius so you can apologize to him."

"Wait, WHAT?" He yelled. He grabbed my arm to stop me. "I'm not apologizing. The fault wasn't mine, it was his. He should be apologizing to me, and if not me, then Remus." I sighed. Boys and their bloody pride. We walked the rest of the way in silence.

"Mr. Potter, glad to see you out of these beds!" Madame Pomfrey exclaimed when we arrived.

"Me too." James replied politely.

"And Miss Evans, glad to see you're not getting into any unnecessary trouble!" Madame Pomfrey exclaimed with a smile, looking between me and James. Teachers can be such gossips. I wonder who leaked the information about me and James out. I bet it was Professor Slughorn. He'd do anything for you if he's drunk, and he got drunk often. I accidentally stumbled on his wine cabinet while looking for Potions ingredients once. It was filled with dozens of empty bottles and even more full ones.

"We want to talk to Remus, is he well?" Peter asked her.

"Yes, Mr. Lupin is fine. Just a few bruises and cuts now, that's all. He'll be back in a few hours." She told us. "Oh, Mr. Rutherford, what did you do to yourself this time?" She asked, looking past us to a third year.

"Hi guys." Remus said when he saw us. He was sitting upright in his bed, reading our Defense book.

"Morning, Remus." I replied. Peter and James looked tentatively at each other.

"Moony, mate, we have to tell you something." James said, sitting down in one of the chairs. Peter and I sat on either side of him.

"Is it about Sirius?" He asked warily. We nodded. "Go on then." He said.

"Well, apparently Snape demanded to know how to get past the Whoomping Willow, and Sirius told him. So, last night, Snape…uh…went down there. And I had to stop him from going any further." He said slowly. "But no one got hurt and I managed to stop him in time, and Lily helped me get him away from there." He added, seeing Remus' expression.

"What? There were TWO people I could've hurt there?" Remus screamed.

"We got away before you even came out of there." I quickly said.

"And we led you near the forest." James added.

"Where's Sirius, that absolute idiot! And know Snape knows! He's going to tell everyone!" Remus said, burying his head in his hands.

"No, Dumbledore said that Snape would be expelled if he did. He's not going to tell anyone. We just need to make sure we don't give him a reason to." James said.

"I'm going to kill Sirius! Where is he?" Remus yelled.

"Calm down, Lily is going to talk to him." James said.

"Wait, I am?" I asked, confused. I don't remember talking about this…

"Yeah, I talked to Peter about it this morning, and he agreed." James told me. "Actually, how about you go now?" He asked. I nodded. He took out his map. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good. He's in the kitchens. You know how to get in, right? Tickle the pear?" He said. I nodded again and stood up.

"I'll see you guys later, then." I walked out and headed up to the fifth floor, where the kitchens were. I found the portrait with the fruit bowl on it and tickled the pear. It swung open and I entered. The ceilings were draped with pots and pans, and the entire place was spotless. I spotted Sirius sitting at one of the tables, in his own world.

"Excuse me, Miss, do you want anything?" A house elf asked, smiling.

"No thank you," I replied, "And call me Lily, please." I told him. He smiled wider and left. I walked over to where Sirius was and sat down across from him. I stared at him. His eyes were somewhere distant and his mouth was in a frown. He had bags under his eyes and his hair was sticking up in all directions. "Sirius?" I said, gently touching his arm. He looked at me, and actually looked kind of relieved.

"Lily! Thank Merlin you're here! I know Prongs won't even look at me, but I need you to tell him I'm really sorry. And Moony, if he'll listen to me. I know I wasn't supposed to tell Snape how to get through there, I realize now it was wrong." He told me remorsefully. I smiled. This was the difference between Regulus and Sirius. Sirius could do something wrong and be remorseful. Regulus wouldn't do that.

"Let's go find James." I smiled.

"Will he forgive me?" He asked.

"Of course, you want to be forgiven and you're going to go ask him for forgiveness. And he loves you, so he'll forgive you." I said as I lead him out.

"Evans. That is an unspoken rule of manhood. You love your brothers, but you don't tell anyone that or say it out loud." Sirius said.

"Well you just told me."

"Did not."

"I quote, 'You love your brothers'" He stuck his tongue out at me. "Real mature, Sirius." I said, rolling my eyes.

"You know, I feel like I should be calling you Lily, but it doesn't feel right." He told me, randomly changing the topic.

"Yeah, it doesn't sound right coming from your mouth either." I replied. "Okay, are you ready?" I asked him as we approached the entrance to the Hospital Wing. He took a deep breath.

"Yeah, I am." He said confidently. I nodded and opened the door. We cautiously walked in. James, Peter and Remus stared at us. Sirius took another deep breath.

"Prongs, Moony, I'm really sorry." He said. James' eyes widened in surprise and looked at me, as if asking, 'What did you say?' I shrugged my shoulders. I didn't do anything. It was all him.

"Well Padfoot, you've seemed to learn your lesson, so I will forgive you." Remus said, smiling. Sirius ran over and gave him his classic bear hug. I rolled my eyes and Remus faked choked. Boys. Sirius pulled away and looked at James, who still hadn't said anything.

"I suppose since Moony forgave you, I should, too." James said. Sirius' grin widened. James stood up and gave him a hug. I smiled. These guys were probably the closest knit group in the entire school. Not everyone here could say that they lived with their best friend, became animagi for their best friend, looked past prejudices for their best friend, and forgave their best friend if they did something wrong.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you, everyone who reviewed and favorited! It makes me SO happy after giving up an hour of my sleep each day to work on the story. You guys are the best!**

**This chapter wasn't exactly my favorite, but tell me what you think!**

**Love,**

**SAM :) **


	13. The Halloween Party

Chapter 13: The Halloween Party

"Lily, have you heard the great news?" James asked, hugging me from behind. I sighed. I was concentrating _very_ hard on the Transfiguration essay McGonagall gave us. I HATED to be distracted while I was working. I put my quill down and sighed again as James took a seat next to me, giving me a peck on the lips. His eyes were bright and his smile was wide. He was definitely excited about something, and so happy that he couldn't wait. Otherwise, he would've known better than to interrupt me while I was working. I smiled at him.

"No James, I don't believe I've heard this 'great news'"

"Well they're having a Halloween party next Saturday, on Halloween!" He said excitedly. Oh, that. I'd known about it for weeks. As a prefect, I do get to know what new events are being planned and when.

"Well obviously on Halloween, when else would the plan a _Halloween_ Party? On Thanksgiving?"

"Thanksgiving…?" He asked, confused.

"It's an American muggle holiday." I explained. "Anyway, I already knew about it. As a prefect I helped plan this weeks ago."

"What? Why didn't you tell me?" He whined.

"Prefect's secrecy. That's why Remus didn't tell you either." I replied.

"Oh…So you'll be my date, right?" He asked. I smiled. This was my chance to get back at him for interrupting me.

"Oh no, I'm going with Stewart Rosen, you know, the Ravenclaw prefect?" I told him, smiling. Stewart Rosen asked me out back in third year and he broke out into boils, thanks to James. They've hated each other ever since. Rosen was pretty good looking, but not as good looking as James, of course, and he was pretty nice and smart, too, being a Ravenclaw.

"You…are?" He asked. His face fell, but his eyes were confused and searching mine. I honestly would not get tired of pushing his buttons. I smiled wider.

"Of course not, you big gullible prat! Who _else_ would I being going with besides my boyfriend?" I laughed, slapping his chest. He took my hand and brought me closer to him, holding me by the waist. He brought his lips to mine and I tasted the familiar sweetness of James. It was a taste I couldn't really describe. It was just…James. I did recognize it, though. I smelled it in the Amortentia Slughorn showed us last week. James pulled away but kept his face close to mine.

"You, Lily Marie Evans, are the devil. But you're _my_ devil." He said. "Now, ditch your homework and we'll go eat dinner." He said, pulling me too my feet.

* * *

**October 27****th**

"Exactly. And then you pull the roots. Do you remember what to do next?" I asked. I was helping James with his Herbology. He was absolutely horrible, I have no idea how he passed his O.W.L.

"Evans, Prongs! Come join us." Sirius said from the boys' dorms. I was really pleased with Sirius. He hasn't pulled a single prank since "The Incident" as we're referring to it now. All the teachers were of course, ecstatic when they realized he'd stopped and Gryffindor was now ahead with House Points since the Marauders first stepped in the school. We were all really proud of him, that so far he's kept the two things that he'd sworn off: Girls, and pranking.

"Alright, Lily, you coming?" James asked. I made a face.

"Up _there_? It's probably a pigsty!" I exclaimed.

"Nah, Remus and James are neater than you think." Sirius assured me.

"Come on!" James said, pulling me by the arm.

"Honestly, sometimes I think I'm dating a six-year-old!" I muttered to myself but James heard.

"I could act like a sixteen-year-old boy, if you want…you know, making those rude and sexist comments you hate so much…" He reminded me with a smirk.

"Six year old it is." He led me up several flights of stairs. Of course they would've fought for the top most one. I entered the room, which was an exact copy of the girls' dorm, with less mirrors and closets. It was indeed, very neat. Sirius, Remus and Peter were already there, sitting in a circle. They widened it so we could join. I sat right in between James and Remus. James put his hand on my waist and I put my head on his shoulder.

"So I have called this Marauder-plus-one meeting here today for a very important matter." He started dramatically. "What are we going to dress up as for the Halloween Party? It's three days away." Sirius said.

"This is what we're here for? We have HOMEWORK, have you forgotten? And especially you, Sirius, you don't have all the time we have, with your detentions!" I reminded him.

"Lily, I learned to play along at this point. Less questions you ask, sooner they finish, sooner we can get back to homework." Remus advised. I pouted but stayed silent.

"Does anyone have any ideas?" Sirius asked.

"He does this _all_ the time-asking us for ideas, but he already has one." Remus whispered to me.

"Nope." James said, bored.

"None." Peter quipped.

"Great, I have one!" Sirius said, clapping his hands together. Remus gave me a "told-you" look. "We should all dress up as each other!" He exclaimed.

"That's…not a bad idea, Padfoot." Remus said after a few moments of silence.

"Yeah, it's actually kind of good." James added.

"So we'll do that then!" Sirius confirmed. We nodded.

"Just one thing, can Lily and I go as each other? Because I don't want to lean to kiss her while she looks like one of you. I'd rather her look like me." James said. I laughed.

"He does have a point." I said

"Okay, Prongs and Evans go as each other. We'll figure out who's who then." Sirius said, looking at Remus and Peter

"I call Wormtail!" Remus yelled.

"Aww…I wanted Wormtail! I guess I have to be _you_ then." Sirius whined.

"That leaves me with Sirius then." Peter said, looking quite pleased, presumably because both Remus and Sirius wanted to be _him_ and that he gets to dress up as the second best looking Marauder.

"Sirius, you need to eat dinner now, it's almost time for your detention." I reminded him.

"Oh yeah, thanks." He said, getting up and exiting the room, with all of us in tow.

* * *

**October 31****st**

"Wow Lily, you look like a green-eyed feminine version of James!" Marissa gasped. Marissa was my roommate and we've only been acquaintances, nothing more. However, since it became apparent that my only friends now were the marauders, most of my dorm mates have been nicer to me, and talking to me more often. On the other hand, the bints have been glaring at me, probably because I'm dating James and I think they may think that I have something to do with Sirius not dating anymore.

"You think so?" I asked, and stood in front of the mirror. She was right. My lips, nose and face was shaped more like James'. We all agreed to keep our eyes exactly the same and our hair the same length, so my hair was charmed black but still mid-back length. I also had a duplicate of his glasses, but the glass was just plastic. I was wearing one of James' old t-shirts, but it was way to long so I cut it so it was waist length. I had skinny jeans under. I looked back a t Marissa. She was dressed as a vampire. Her skin was already very pale and she just charmed her hair black like I did, wore extra red lipstick, and found some fangs to use.

"Your costume looks pretty good, too." I told her.

"Thanks. Hey Helena, let's see yours!" Marissa said to Helena through the bathroom door. Helena was a nice, quiet, pretty brunette who usually kept to herself. She didn't really have any close friends, only a few acquaintances that she was friendly enough to eat and walk to class with.

"Okay." Her hesitant voice came through the door. The lock clicked and she stepped out in a _werewolf_ costume. I bit my tongue to stop from laughing. Wait till Remus sees this! Her entire body except her face was completely covered in hair. I was pretty sure it was one of those muggle costumes, and it would make sense, her father was a muggle.

"Thanks," She said, blushing. "My father got it for me, it's a muggle costume, it's got a zip in the back." She told us, turning around. "But the head, I decided to put a little magic in my costume so the head is just mine, charmed so there's hair around it." She told us, going to stand in front of the mirror.

"Wow." Marissa and I said in unison. So I was right.

"Shall we go down together, then?" Marissa asked. I nodded. We left our dorm and descended the stairs. Their dates were already there and ready to go.

"We'll see you later, Lily." Marissa said with a wave. I waved back and took a seat on the couch. I had no idea how long I'd be here. They were all so crazy. Peter and his lack of ability to do charm work. James would have problems getting his look right. And Sirius was going to be, well, Sirius. He was overjoyed because Dumbledore gave him permission to skip his detention for tonight to attend the party. Apparently, Dumbledore and the teachers were pleased that he hadn't been pulling any pranks recently, so Dumbledore probably realized that Sirius had learned his lesson.

Luckily, they didn't keep me waiting too long. Only a few minutes had passed when I finally heard their voices.

"Padfoot, you stepped on my foot! Watch where you're going!" James said angrily.

"No, I'm _Peter_." Peter replied.

"Oh, yeah." He said, his voice coming closer. "Lily, you're already here!" I turned around. James looked kind of like me. Well, as much as he would've been able to look like me with out Polyjuice Potion. His hair was now charmed "Evans-red" as he dubbed the unusually vibrant color. His nose, mouth and face shape was altered, like I had altered mine. He was wearing an enlarged old shirt of mine, the green one I'd worn on our first date. His chest and in-the-making six pack was profound against it, I couldn't help but stare for a while. The jeans were his because he blatantly refused to wear skinny jeans. Remus, who was dressed as Peter, made his face rounder, his hair a dirty blond, and somehow sprouted acne. Peter darkened his hair only, since neither his charm nor transfiguration work was the best. Sirius as Remus was definitely the best. He managed to shorten his hair length and change his eye color along with the features the rest of us changed. He actually kind of looked like Remus, especially since both were the same height.

"I wanted to use Polyjuice Potion, but these three wouldn't let me." Sirius told me with a shrug. I laughed. I looked towards James and noticed something.

"You managed to get rid of your glasses?" I asked him.

"Oh yeah, Madame Pomfrey gave me a potion. He replied. "So, let's see how you look as me!" He said enthusiastically. I fully got up so they could see what I was wearing and Sirius' eyes widened.

"Mate, she makes you look pretty hot." Sirius said to James. I felt my face turned red. He could be so awkward sometimes.

"Yeah. She does." James agreed, still looking at me. "Hey! Get your own girlfriend!" He told Sirius, smacking him on the back of the head. I felt myself turn redder. Remus sighed impatiently.

"How about we get going? At this rate, the party will already be finished." Remus said. I was glad I wasn't the only sane one here.

"Yeah we should." Peter agreed. I bet he just wanted the food. That boy snuck down to the kitchens at every chance he got. I walked over to them and James put his arms around my waist.

"AH! It looks all _opposite_! It's so CONFUSING!" Sirius whined. He ran out of the common room not looking back at us.

I gasped at the sight of the Great Hall. Dumbledore and the teachers really went out of their way this time. The four House tables were gone and in the middle was a dance floor. There were many round tables with orange and black tablecloths. The seats at the tables were actually couches. The Staff Table had the food and Peter ran off to it the second he saw it. Looking around more, I realized that almost every ghost in the castle seemed to be there. The students didn't seem as many as there were in the entire school. Then of course, there would be people who wouldn't attend. In fact, I'd be one of them, if I wasn't a prefect and James would've begged me to go until I lost my sanity. When we actually entered, we did turn a few heads. Actually, it was mostly Sirius. I wasn't surprised. At first glance, I would've thought he was Remus, too.

"Mr. Black, is that you?" McGongall asked, approaching us in her usual black and emerald green robes. If she was such a Gryffindor, why in Merlin's name does she wear _Slytherin_ colors all the time?

"Yeah, it is." Remus confirmed from behind him.

"My, what wonderful Transfiguration work, all of you! 5 points to Gryffindor for the each of you!" She said happily.

"Thank you, Professor." James replied.

"And we were worried that Sirius was going to dress up as You-Know-Who!" She revealed.

"'We', Professor?" I asked.

"Oh yes, the entire staff. Horace, I mean Professor Slughorn, was trying to place bets!" She told us. It wasn't surprising. Slughorn would do something like that. "Well, I must get going! Have fun!" She said as she left.

"Why's she so…happy?" Remus asked.

"Maybe she and Dumbledore finally got together!" Sirius joyfully suggested.

"Sirius, that's gross! Dumbledore _taught_ McGongall!" I reminded him.

"Maybe she's just glad we haven't pulled any pranks. We just got 20 points for the house, and it's been a while since a teacher awarded us any points, let alone that many." James said.

"Sounds more likely." Remus agreed.

"Hey," I said, realizing something. "Did you notice, almost none of the Slytherins from our year are here?" I asked them.

"No, only _you_, Lily." Sirius told me. "Hey! I just called you LILY! And it didn't sound weird!" He said, grinning. I rolled my eyes as he left, probably to join Peter and get food. His stomach was a bottomless pit, like Peter's. It was too bad he couldn't just conjure it. Food was one of the exceptions to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration.

"You know Lily, he's right. Only you would notice that." He told me. "Where could they all be? Most of the other year Slytherins are here." Remus stated thoughtfully.

"Guys, It's Halloween. Why don't we have some fun and think about all of that later?" James suggested impatiently. I nodded. We moved through the crowd and sat down at one of the tables in the corner. Looking around, I saw that the girls were dressed mostly as devils, angels, or pixies. Halloween was an excuse for most of them to dress like a slut and the boys to stare hopelessly at them. The boys were dressed mostly as dementors, vampires, werewolves and a few centaurs. I looked at Remus. He was muttering to himself about how inaccurate the werewolf costumes were. He saw me look at him and I rolled eyes and looked away. Looking back at the crowd, there were also a good amount of people dressed as other people. Dumbledore was a popular one. Most had a long beard and half-moon spectacles. One third year was even wearing a shirt that said "My Eyes Twinkle"

"Lily, Lily, look!" Remus said, pointing to the entrance. It was the Junior Death Eaters. I suppose they just wanted to be fashionably late? James instinctively pulled me closer, so rested my head on his chest and watched them. The front of the group was Bellatrix, followed by Lestrange, Avery, Mucliber, Snape, Crabbe, Goyle, Black, and it looked like someone else new was there with them.

"Remus, do you have any idea who that is?" I asked, pointing to the new addition to their group.

"I think that's a fifth year, I know his last name's Nott. I saw McGonagall give him detention for hurting some fifth year Gryffindor a while ago." He told me. I hated how they quickly got so many followers because they could just threaten to kill someone if they didn't follow them. There were so many cowards out there that would follow them just because of fear. I was pretty sure that Narcissa Black, who was betrothed to Malfoy, was only a death eater because of fear. She would've turned out like her sister, Andromeda, had she stuck with her instead of following Bellatrix. Andromeda was Head back in my fourth year along with Ted Tonks, a muggleborn, and they apparently fell in love. It really didn't make sense to me, why Andromeda was sorted in Slytherin. I met her once and she was very nice, sweet and pretty. It didn't seem like there was an ounce of Slytherin in her. Sirius was her cousin and he did mention, whenever he saw Bellatrix, that Andromeda was the only 'acceptable' person in his family.

"Lily, I think Snape's staring at you." Remus whispered. My eyes widened.

"Where is he?" I asked.

"Look right." I turned my head, and sure enough Snape was staring at me. I shifted uncomfortably. James looked towards him and his arms tightened around my waist. Snape started glaring, but finally looked away.

"You wanna dance?" James asked after a slow song started playing.

"Sure." I replied. The last time we'd danced was in fifth year, after I finally accepted going to Hogsmeade with him. We walked over to the dance floor and I put my arms on his chest because I couldn't reach his shoulders. His hands were placed delicately on my waist and he was looking down at me, while swaying.

"You know, it's a lot more comfortable without my glasses, but, it feels really weird. I've had them for too long to not wear them." He said.

"How long have you had them?"

"As long as I can remember, but my parents say since I was five."

"Oh." I said. "You know, we kinda left Remus all alone there. You think he'll be alright?" I asked.

"Yeah, Peter and Sirius came back." He told me without looking there. I wanted to look over, but I couldn't break eye contact with him. We leaned into each other and our lips met, initiating a kiss. I could tell he wanted to deepen it, and that he was holding back, but no way were we going to do that, especially in a hall full of students and teachers. He pulled back and his eyes were filled with longing and restraint. It was easier to tell what he was thinking without the glasses in front of them, even if they were just glass.

"You want to go back?" He whispered. I looked around. We seemed to be attracting a crowd.

"Yeah, we should." I whispered back. Hand in hand, we walked to our table, and sure enough, Sirius and Peter were eating like it was their last meal and Remus was looking at them in disgust. We took our old seats.

"Came back so quickly?" Remus asked.

"We missed you too much, Moony." James said, pulling me into his chest and wrapping his arms around my waist. I rolled my eyes.

"We were attracting a crowd." I explained. Remus laughed.

"That is expected."

"Oh, look, Bella, it's the mudblood, the blood-traitors and the pig!" Lestrange said. I looked up and sighed. In front of us stood Bellatrix, Lestrange, Avery, Mucliber, Snape, Black, Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott.

"Lestrange, feeling lost without Malfoy, your king?" James sneered, pulling me closer to him.

"No, Bella makes a wonderful replacement. She's better than _Malfoy_ ever was." Lestrange replied with a hint of pride in his voice. I rolled my eyes.

"Don't you guys have anything better to do?" Sirius asked irately, looking up from his plate. Bellatrix glared at him. If looks could kill, Sirius would be ashes right now.

"That fool Dumbledore's here now. We should leave." Goyle said uncertainly. They all looked at him, but left.

"They honestly have nothing better to do, walking around in their posse like they're going to turn the corner and kill someone! None of them have the guts to do it, none of them ever will! They're all cowards, that's what they are!" Sirius vented. Remus sympathetically patted his back. I wasn't surprised that he was the one most affected by this. None of us were as closely related to any of the Junior Death Eaters as he was. Narcissa and Bellatrix were his cousins, and Regulus was his own brother. He was distantly related to the rest of them, as all pureblood families were related to each other. He was even pretty distantly related to James. Of course Sirius wouldn't admit any of this; I found a copy of the family tree in the library.

"She disgusts me!" I heard a high-pitched girly voice say. I turned my head to the left. It was Mary and her new 'friends'. "Look at her, all over him! I should be there!" The girl continued, glaring at me. I narrowed my eyes. Did I even know her? Their outfits were as skimpy as you could get without actually walking around in your bra and underwear.

"I know, what does he see in her? She's not even that pretty!" Another one said in a nasally voice. They all laughed, including Mary. This time James heard, and turned his head towards them.

"How dare they?" He muttered under his breath.

"It's okay. Don't do anything rash." I warned him. He hmph-ed under his breath and looked away.

"Actually, Lisa, she's ugly, absolutely _ugly_ and a _slut_." Another girl said louder than the rest of them as she glared at me in disgust. If I hadn't faced Bellatrix's glare multiple times, I would've cowered under this girl's.

"That's it." He whispered under his breath. "If you have a problem with me or Lily," He told the girls loudly, "Then I suggest you keep it to yourselves. She's a much better person than any of you, and smarter than all of you combined. And, she's nicer, and not to mention, a hell lot more beautiful than any of you will ever be, regardless of the lack of clothes you wear. She could cover herself head to toe and still be more beautiful than anyone. So I kindly suggest you leave, and not to bother us ever again." He told them sternly. They glared a little more, but left. I looked at him, thankful for defending me, and absolutely touched his sweetness.

"Thanks." I told him softly.

"I was just telling the truth." He said, shrugging. I laughed. "I love you." He told me.

"I love you, too." I whispered back.

"Guys, do you mind, I'm eating!" Sirius whined.

* * *

**A/N: I felt kind of weird, writing a chapter about Halloween, knowing that a few years later, they'd meet their death on this day. **

**Thanks to you guys who review and favorited, I really, really, really appreciate it! **

**I'll try to update as soon as possible!**

**REVIEW.**

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**Love,  
SAM :) **


	14. And They Come Again

Chapter 14: And They Come Again

"And then came Uric the Oddball…" Professor Binns droned on. I stopped listening because he wasn't really saying anything important. I could figure it all out in the library later today. Right now I was thinking about, well, life in general. James, school, Petunia, James, friends, holidays, James. Clearly I had too much James on my mind. I was starting to think I was turning like him and getting as obsessed with him as he was with me. I found it unhealthy, but I couldn't deny how much I liked it. I looked over to him. He had his head propped up on his hand. His hair was falling over his eyes. He looked like he was going to fall asleep any second now. His other hand was in mine and he was tracing circles on the back of it, probably to keep himself busy. On my other side, Remus was diligently taking notes and taking in Binns' every word. Next to Remus, Sirius and Peter were fast asleep. Why they bothered coming to class really confuses me. It really annoyed me though, that Sirius almost _never_ studied and still got such good grades.

"Psst. Lily!" I heard. I was about to turn my head in James' direction when I felt something hit my head and land on my desk. I looked at James. He pointed to the note. I glared at him, but opened it anyway. It had a single word in it.

_Hi_.

**What do you think you're doing?** I scribbled back.

_I don't know. I'm bored._

**Aren't we all?**

_Not Remus, look at him, taking notes like a good child._

**Am I not a good child?**

_Well you are passing notes…_

**It's because of you. Apparently you can't entertain yourself.**

_Well I use to be able to…you know, when you sat like a million miles away from me and I could stare at you all class without you noticing…but now that you're right here, it's harder._

**THAT'S why I always felt like I was being watched! **

_Oh yeah, watching you fidget is the best part!_

**Yes, well I'm glad you're not doing that now, it would be very distracting.**

_So what are you doing for break?_

**James, that's not for another month!**

_And…?_

**And why are you thinking about it now?**

_Mostly because I have nothing else to do. And because my parents owled me yesterday, saying that they're leaving the country for New Year's so I was thinking of throwing a party._

**James! You can't throw a party while your parents are out!**

_They wouldn't mind, in fact my dad would probably help me plan it, if he wasn't leaving._

**You are insane.**

_I know. But you like me that way._

**That is true. **

Would you two stop it? You're distracting me! I can't take proper notes if you're passing notes back and forth.

**Remus! Join the fun!**

Lily, you are being badly influenced by James.

_I'm not a bad influence!_

Sure you aren't.

**Remus, I believe it's more of us rubbing off on each other.**

Yeah, James' prog

_You guys are rubbing each other?_

Padfoot, do you need to be so gross? And why'd you grab the paper from me? I was mid-sentence!

_Oh Sirius, you woke up_.

_Prongs, why do you sound so unhappy?_

**We're passing notes. How does he SOUND unhappy?**

_He just does._

Ugh. You guys are IMPOSSIBLE.

_Moony, who actually writes out "ugh"?_

Shut up.

_That's not a very nice word._

**How do you guys write so fast?**

_We are in practice, my dear Lily-flower._

They do this all the time. Well they USED to, really.

**Why'd they stop?**

_James decided it was time to be 'more responsible' and 'pay attention in class'. Really I think it was just to ogle at you more._

_I prefer stare, thank you_.

_**Hey guys, what are we talking about?**_

Aw, Wormtail, not you too!

_Well, we WERE talking about the New Year's party I'm going to throw. Then MOONY interrupted me!_

I did no such thing. You guys were being all lovey-dovey when I took the paper from Lily!

_Anyway, James, so are we going to do this? And if we are, are you sure? I don't want to upset your parents, they've already done more than enough for me._

_It'll be fine, Padfoot. Even in their old age they know how to have fun_.

_**How exactly do you plan on cleaning up? There will be a huge mess and your parents are coming back the day after New Year's. You'll probably be too hung over or**_

_OR IN BED WITH LILY_

_**OR too tired to clean up**_

**SIRIUS! YOU'RE LUCKY WE'RE IN CLASS! **

_Well, I have that sorted out. Moony's 17__th__ is in December!_

_Really? I didn't know_**.**

No one was supposed to know. Prongs only figured out because he saw the packages my parents sent me last year.

_And you didn't tell us, Prongs?_

_I only found out yesterday…_

**I can't believe you guys have been friends since first year and you don't know when his birthday is. Even I knew!**

_It's not our faults! He kept refusing to tell us_.

**Aw, Remus, why? Birthdays are great.**

I'm not a fan.

_Moony, if you keep this attitude up, you're going to die sad, old, and lonely. You'll probably end up like Filch_**.**

Padfoot, I'm not going to end up as a squib because I don't like celebrating my birthday. Hey, where'd Peter go?

**You guys didn't notice? He fell back asleep a while ago.**

Oh. Anyway, Prongs, what do you expect me to do even if I do turn 17 before your party?

_Well, with a few cleaning charms…and you won't be alone you know, Peter turns 17 before then too. _

_Why did I have to be the youngest one?_

Fine. I'll do it.

_You will? That's great. Padfoot, no need for the bribery plans we had!_

**You guys are crazy.**

_I know, but you love us for it._

**Yeah, yeah. But I think we should leave class now. Even Binns has left.**

"Wait, really? Where'd everyone go?" Sirius asked stupidly.

"Are you an idiot? Class is over!" Remus said irately and grumbled things about 'wasting time' and 'didn't get proper notes' as he gathered his books and put them in his bag. I rolled my eyes as I followed him out.

"So, you know, first Hogsmeade weekend that Sirius is actually allowed to go to is tomorrow." James said, putting an arm around my shoulders.

"Oh yeah, it's been two months, hasn't it?" I said, remembering. It would finally give him a chance to study.

"Now, here comes the dilemma. If we're together the entire time, I can't exactly get you a Christmas present, can I? And don't you dare start with the whole 'Oh, you don't have to.' thing." He said, reading my mind. I sighed.

"So what's your plan? I need to get you one too." I reminded him.

"I'll go with Sirius and find something for you, and you'll go with Remus and Peter, and at some time we'll meet up at the Three Broomsticks again." He said, as though he had it planned out for ages..

"Whoa wait, How am I supposed to get anything for the both of them if they're with me the entire time?"

"They'll probably be talking in their own world the entire time; they're just there as backup." He said dismissively. I snorted.

"Alright then."

* * *

**Later that day**

I sighed contently into James' chest and breathed in his scent, grateful that he didn't completely bathe himself in his cologne. I really couldn't stand boys who did that. _Ding, Ding, Ding_. The clock above the fire place rang and echoed throughout the empty common room.

"Oh, it's eight. It's time for me to patrol." I said to him slowly. The next few minutes weren't going to be pleasant.

"Alright, I'll see you later." James, said giving me a lazy peck on the lips. He seemed really tired and I was grateful…maybe he wouldn't notice.

"See ya, Lily." Sirius said from the seat next to where James and I were sitting.

"Bye Lily." Remus said, giving me a hesitant glance towards James. I put a finger to my lips. James' eye lids were drooping. He definitely wouldn't notice. I walked towards the common room door, gaining confidence with every step.

"WAIT." James suddenly screamed. I stopped in my tracks. _This close. I was THIS CLOSE to him not finding out!_ Maybe he still didn't realize. Maybe he just wanted- "WHY ARE YOU GOING WITHOUT REMUS?" He asked frantically. WELL. There goes my hope. I walked back to him.

"They decided to mix it up a little; you know get some inter-house unity thing. I'm patrolling with the Ravenclaw girl prefect now." Remus explained.

"If he's going with the Ravenclaw girl prefect….then are you going with…? NO. NO. No. You are NOT patrolling with _Rosen_. Not Stewart _Rosen_." He snarled. I rolled my eyes. _Melodramatic_.

"It'll be fine, James, honestly, nothing's going to happen." I told him, in the best comforting voice I could muster. I was a bit angry with him, really. He knows Rosen's scared shitless of him, he's not going to _try_ anything! And it wasn't dangerous either! We're in _Hogwarts_ for Merlin's sake!

"At least she's not patrolling with Snape. Diggory said it was Snape or Rosen." Remus said, trying to be helpful.

"That little bastard! He probably wanted to get back at me!" James yelled. He's really insane, isn't he?

"There's nothing we can do about it. I need to do what I'm supposed to do. And if it's patrolling with Rosen, so be it." I replied, determined to make him see sense. He was easily blinded by jealousy.

"Fine." He grumbled, giving up more easily than I thought he would.

"Good. I'm going now." I said, crossing my arms. James merely grunted in response. I left the common room in a pretty annoyed mood.

* * *

The last hour and a half had been pretty easy going, and I wasn't having a horrible time, Rosen could be pretty entertaining.

"So, how are things going with James?" He asked casually.

"Oh, pretty good." I responded automatically.

"That's good. How long have you guys been going out?"

"Uh, six months." I said, realizing it _was_ pretty much six months. I hadn't realized, it had gone so fast!

"Cool." _Piing_.

"Did you hear that?" I asked, whipping my wand out and turning around.

"Damn, you're fast!" Rosen said, struggling to get his wand out of his robes. I shrugged.

"It's nothing. Now, I'm going to go forward and see what just happened. Stay here." I instructed. I took a big yet quiet step forward. My face hit something solid. Before I realized what was happening, I was falling forward, and I realized that there was something around my waist. I hit the ground, or what I thought was the ground, because there was definitely something solid underneath me, and it wasn't the cold, hard ground. It was warm. I lifted my head so I could look forward.

"James?" I asked incredulously. His floating head was staring right back at me. _He was under the invisibility cloak_.

"Uh, Lily, hey." He responded lamely. I climbed off of him, taking the invisibility cloak off his body in the process. He brought himself to full height and ruffled his hair a little. Yes, he should be _very_ nervous right now.

"What the _bloody hell_ are you doing here!" I screamed at him.

"Lily, I can explain." He said, eyes pleading. He put his hands up in front of him and stepped back. He was eying my hand. Oh, that's why he was so scared; I still had my wand out.

"Then do tell, James, what's your _explanation_?" I sneered taking a step forward. He took another step back.

"Well, you see…uh…" His hand flew up to his hair again. "I was you know, following you…" He started.

"You were _following_ me? The entire time? You spent one and a half hours under that invisibility cloak, _following_ us?" I shouted. What did he think he was doing? Did he not trust me? "Do you not trust me?" I asked, a bit softer.

"No, no, no, of course I trust you! It's just…I didn't think you'd be…I…I don't trust _him_." James finished, pointing at Rosen, who had been, up until now, enjoying himself. His eyes widened as big as saucers.

"_ME?_ You don't trust me? What do you think I'm going to do? Pull a move on her?" He asked, clearly as nonplussed about this entire situation as I was. "I know better than to do that. First of all, you'd probably kill me-muggle style, and second, I don't like her. I stopped in fourth year. And if you're still concerned, I will let you know, I have a girlfriend!" He told him. James grew red in the face.

"You do?" He said weakly. I turned on him again.

"YOU SEE? HE WASN'T GOING TO DO ANYTHING! AND HERE YOU ARE, RUNNING AFTER ME LIKE I CAN'T DEFEND MYSELF!" I shrieked.

"No, no nothing like that. You can defend yourself very well." James stuttered, still looking at my wand, which I brought up to his throat. "You know, you're so beautiful, smart, nice, kind, considerate _forgiving_, sweet, _forgiving_, loving, _forgiving_, and wonderful all round! Did I mention _forgiving_? So I couldn't bear to leave you!" He stuttered as he backed up into the wall.

"Uh, well, patrolling time is over, so I think I'm going to leave now…" Rosen said, clearly perturbed by the entire situation. I heard his footsteps walk quickly. I turned back to James.

"Flattery will get you no where." I warned.

"Wait, do you hear that?" He asked, his eyes suddenly widening. I listened. I heard distant footsteps and low whispers. I turned back towards him.

"What should we do? It's probably the Slytherins!" I whispered. He put a finger to his mouth and picked the cloak up off the ground.

"Sit down, we'll cover it over both of us and it'll fit." I nodded and sat down. My stomach was doing backflips. He pulled the cloak over both of us and we sat, waiting. My heart was beating quickly, in fear. Sure enough, Bellatrix, Lestrange, Snape, and Avery turned the corner. I shivered just seeing them. They entered the closest classroom and closed the door shut behind them. I heard the lock click. James leapt from under the cloak, taking it with him, and moved closer to the door. He put his ear to it and shook his head. I stood up and walked over to him.

"We can't hear anything. Snape put a spell on it. It was _Muffliato_. We need to remember that, too." He whispered. "It seems to make buzzing noises in the ear rather than hearing what's actually being said in there." He said grimly. I moved closer to the door. Sure enough, I didn't hear voices, just buzzing noises.

"What should we do? We can't leave them there. They're obviously doing something dangerous or illegal or against school rules, otherwise they would have done what ever they needed to do in their common room." I reasoned.

"Good point." He said. We waited a few more minutes. I strained my ears to see if I could hear anything, but without luck.

"Okay, I have an idea." He shuffled in his pocket. He brought out a small, square object. "I'm going to put _Muffliato_ on our side, too, so they can't hear anything we're saying here." He said, and then proceeded to do the spell. He _engorio_'d the square object and I realized it was a mirror. "This helps me communicate with Padfoot. I found it in my attic three years ago. That's how we communicate during detentions or when we really need each other. It's always with us and it kind of vibrates when one is calling the other. And if we need to find each other, it vibrates more if we're near each other." He quickly explained before saying 'Sirius' to the mirror. Sirius' face appeared in the mirror.

"Prongs, is something wrong?" He asked worriedly. I guess they only used it in emergencies, then?

"Yes, something's wrong. We're on the third floor, by 'we' I mean me and Lily, by the way. We saw the Slytherins going into a classroom, in the hallway that has the armor that dances during Christmas?" I could see Sirius nod. "I want you to send Moony to Professor McGonagall, telling him to tell her everything I just told you. If Wormtail's with you, ask him to come with you here. We might need backup if they decide to come out before Moony gets here with McGonagall."

"Alright, see you in a minute. I've got the map, it'll be quick." He promised. I saw his head duck out of the mirror. James _reducio_'d it and put it back in his pocket.

"Now what?" I asked.

"Now, we wait, without letting our guard down of course." He took out his wand and gripped it so tightly in his hand, his knuckles turned white. So he wasn't feeling as brave as he was trying to be. Nice to know he could still keep a clear mind even with everything going on right now. We stood against the wall right next to the door, waiting for someone to come.

After a few minutes of agonizing silence, and turning my head at every creak, Sirius and Peter finally came down the hall, and Sirius was holding the map.

"Alright, Moony just went down to McGonagall, it shouldn't take too long for him to convince her." Sirius said, standing next to us, wand drawn. Peter was in the same position, but looked a bit more frightened than the rest of us.

"F-filch and Mrs. N-norris are on the fuh-fifth floor." He stuttered, peering at the map. His face was bright red and his eyes were wide.

"Look, Moony and Minnie left her office. They'll be here quickly; it's only on the floor below us." Sirius said, also looking at the map. Peter let out a loud sigh of relief. Note to self: if we ever get into a large death eater fight like we did last year, get Peter out of there as quickly as possible. The next few minutes were similar to before Sirius and Peter came. We jumped at every noise and my heart was about to leap right out of my chest and I was sweating like crazy. After what seemed like hours, Remus and Professor McGonagall finally arrived. She looked at us for a moment or two before turning to the door. She raised a fist to knock but James interrupted her.

"I mimicked the spell they put on the inside of the room. It was so anyone who came close the door would only hear a buzzing noise in their ear. I put it out here so they wouldn't hear us while we talked. They won't be able to hear it." He said. "They also might've put a spell to lock the door, but I didn't listen soon enough to hear it." He added. Professor McGonagall pulled out her wand and flicked it at the door. She flicked it once again and the door creaked open. She turned back to us.

"You may go back to Gryffindor Tower. Thank you for alerting me and not doing anything rash. Ten points to Gryffindor for the each of you. And _please_ go back. Do not linger around here." She said, and then entered the room. We turned around in silence, slightly disappointed that we couldn't see their expressions when McGonagall found them, but glad that they couldn't get their revenge for showing her where they were. James put an arm around my waist, but didn't speak until we were right in front of the Fat Lady.

"I'm glad we got out of there without having to fight or anything." He muttered as Remus told the Fat Lady the password. I nodded in agreement. Peter, Remus and Sirius went upstairs without saying a word. They were probably very tired. I wanted to go back upstairs but when I turned to James to say goodnight, I couldn't bear to leave him. His eyes were begging for forgiveness for what happened before.

"Lily, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to…I just couldn't help myself." He told me, stroking my cheek. I sighed and hugged him.

"Just don't do it again. _Please_." I stressed, really hoping he wouldn't. On the other hand, I was kind of glad he was there. If he hadn't come, then Rosen and I would've had to face the Junior Death Eater problem ourselves. Without James by my side, I know I wouldn't be able to think clearly.

"Hey Lily," He muttered, moving the hair away from the cheek that wasn't pressed against his chest. I looked up at him.

"Yeah?" I whispered back. He ran a hand through my hair .

"I love you."

"I love you, too." I put my arms around his neck so my face was barely an inch away from his. We stared into each other's eyes, a smile playing on our lips. We played a silent game, trying to get the other to break and start the kiss. To coax him, I ran my lips along my tongue and pressed my chest closer against his. His eyes held lust and desire and I could tell he was going to break soon. He turned us around and delicately backed me up against a wall. He hungrily and quickly moved his lips in sync with mine. He ran his tongue along my bottom lip and I opened my mouth a little to let him in. I moved my hands from his neck to his chest and entangled the other in his hair. His hands moved quickly around my back. He suddenly slowed down. Hungriness and longing was replaced by sweet, soft caressing. I regained most of my senses and realized my heart was pounding against his chest, and I could feel his heart against my chest. I felt his hand slip under my shirt and his arm wrapped around my bare waist. He pulled away, his hand rubbing circles on my bare back under my shirt. He pressed his forehead against mine, his eyes still closed and a content smile playing on his lips.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you, all of you who reviewed and favorited! I reallllyyy appreciate it! I got my 20****th**** review with chapter 13 and I'm happy with all of the positive feedback! It's been 3 months since I started this story, 14 Chapters, and 22 reviews. I'm a pretty happy girl. **

**A Special Thanks to those of you who've reviewed more than one chapter!  
**

**In a poor attempt to advertise: I wrote a one-shot that I put up last Monday, CHECK IT OUT!**

**And also,**

**REVIEW!**

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**SAM:)**


	15. At Peace

Chapter 15: At Peace

"Remus, what am I supposed to get James? I can't think of anything! What kind of girlfriend am I, not able to get her boyfriend she's known for six and a half years a proper present?" I whined in defeat, sitting on a bench outside some store. We'd gone through several shops with no avail.

"You'll think of something, Lily." Remus assured me, patting my shoulder sympathetically. He and Peter sat down on either side of me. I managed to find presents for the both of them. For Peter, food obviously. Nothing would make him happier. Although, I did add a book on weight loss. I hoped he would pick up the hint. For Remus, it was harder. I actually got him two presents, one for his birthday next week, and another for Christmas. For his birthday, I got him a few sweets from Zonko's and a few new quills. For Christmas, I got him a muggle series of books called _Sherlock Holmes_. Mum gave me them last Christmas and I thought he might enjoy them.

"He's not even a girl! I can't get him jewelry either!" I added, putting my head in my hands. I heard Remus mutter something like 'Oh, as if that _weren't_ obvious. I have seen him without any clothes' I snickered a little. I don't think I've heard Remus use sarcasm once. It's probably Sirius' influence. I got Sirius a book on how to get rid of fleas, he always complained about the 'bloody fleas' after animagus transformation, and I figured he might actually read for once. I also got him a new set of Exploding Snap cards since Filch took his away last week. Filch hated Sirius even more than he did before because of all the detentions. He often went out of his way searching for an excuse to expel him.

"You know, you could always get him food." Peter suggested unhelpfully. I glared at him. "What? We men like our food." He said defensively. I snorted and rolled my eyes.

"Well sitting here isn't exactly going to help. We should keep looking and walking around." I said, rising to my feet. Remus and Peter groaned. I didn't exactly blame them. I found shopping really boring too, but this was an important cause. "Here, why don't we go into this store?" I asked them, pointing to the store behind us. They groaned even louder. It was a clothing store. I pulled them by the arm anyway. I pushed open the door and shoved them inside. I moved through the racks of clothes. I went to the back of the store, where the men's section was. I moved up and down it, trying to find things that would catch my eye. I finally found a nice, blue shirt. It was ordinary and completely plain but there was something about it that had its own charm. So, I went ahead and bought it.

Mum always complained about how I did things like that. She said I was my own species of an implusive shopper. I rarely had any impulses or gut feelings to buy something, but when I did, I bought it without a second's thought. I went back to Peter and Remus, who were relieved to know that we were leaving already. They were so happy that they agreed to go into another store. This one was mostly a decorative item store.

The second I pushed open the door, I saw exactly what I needed. It was a doe and a stag figurine. There was wildlife surrounding it and a large, red heart in the middle. There were clouds that floated above the doe and stag and an angel coming out of them. With a bit of simple charmwork, I'd be able to turn the angel's hair red and engrave something into the gold plate at the base. I quickly walked over to it. It was in perfect, great condition, and it was a little expensive, but worth the money. I went to pay for it and the cashier put a protection charm on it that would prevent it from breaking.

"Okay, we should get these back to our dorms." Remus said with a sigh of happiness. "Misty?" Remus called out. The little house elf I'd seen back on my first date with James appeared with a _pop_!

"Yes, master Remus?" She asked in her soprano voice. Remus cringed at the word _master_, but didn't say anything.

"Take this to Lily's dorm," He told her, giving her my bags, "and these to my dorm." and gave her his and Peter's bags.

"Okay!" She said, her eyes twinkling in a way that would give Dumbledore a run for his money. Clearly she like being told to work, which I would never get, but I guess it was in their nature.

"Thank you, Misty." Remus told her with a smile and she disappeared with a _pop!_

"Alright, now what? When are we supposed to meet Sirius and James?" I asked. Remus looked at his wristwatch

"Right now." I nodded and started walking the way of the Three Broomsticks. I looked upwards. They sky was grey and there were dark clouds scattered everywhere. It looked like it may snow at any moment. I looked around some more, watching happy couples go for a walk, friends talking and laughing. It seemed as though the world was oblivious to the dark forces outside the safe protection of Hogwarts.

"Remus, I said, suddenly as the thought struck me. "Don't you think it's a little too happy right now? Where are the Junior Death Eaters? Why aren't they at Hogsmeade like everyone else? Dow you think they're planning something dangerous?"

"No Lily, they're probably serving detention for their nighttime wanderings." Remus replied logically.

"Oh." I replied weakly, feeling slightly stupid because I freaking out over nothing.

"Wormtail, would you please stop eating. We're here." Remus said with an impatient sigh. He opened the door to the Three Broomsticks.

"Actually, you guys go ahead. I'm going back to the castle. I still haven't finished the Potions essay." He said. Remus and I glanced at each other and shrugged.

"Alright, see you later then." Remus said with a wave.

"Bye, Peter." I said, my teeth chattering a little because of the cool breeze. He turned around with a final wave and headed back towards the castle. Remus and I entered the pub, which was presumably warmed up with a few simple charms. I needed to remember to put that on my bed tonight. We took a table in the back near the corner and ordered two hot drinks while we waited.

"Moony, as irresistible as she is, I hope you kept your hands off my girlfriend." James joked as he slid in the seat next to me. He slipped his arm around my waist and gave me a peck on the lips.

"Lilyflower, as irresistible as he is, I hope you kept your hands off my boyfriend." Sirius said, attempting to mimic James. Remus cringed when Sirius tried to lean in and kiss him. Remus pushed him away and scooted away from him. I rolled my eyes at the pair.

"Lily, you found everything alright?" James asked, stopping a potential conversation about Sirius' sexual orientation.

"Yeah, we did." I replied. "Well, all except your gift." I corrected.

"She _actually_ dragged me and Wormtail into a clothing store at one point. Luckily, we left quickly." Remus said, shuddering at the memory.

"Speaking of Wormtail, where is he?" Sirius asked, looking under the table, as though Peter might be hiding from him.

"He went to go finish his Potions essay." Remus told him, taking a sip of his drink.

"What? We were supposed to finish that together, tomorrow!" Sirius whined.

"Look at it this way; At least you can copy off of his now, without doing all that extra work." James pointed out.

"Don't give him ideas!" Remus and I protested.

"Pssh. My genius mind would've thought of it anyway!" Sirius said, puffing his chest out. I rolled my eyes.

"You know, we all have a trademark-move thing." Sirius said randomly. "Like, Prongs has his whole hair-ruffling thing, Lily rolls her eyes, Wormtail eats, I hug, and Moony…" His voice trailed off. "You don't have one." He told Remus. "You _have to_ have one! We all do, even Lily and she's only an honorary Maruder." Sirius exclaimed. I rolled my eyes. Remus raised an eyebrow. "That's it!" Sirius screamed enthusiastically, turning a few heads. "You can raise an eyebrow as your trademark." Sirius exclaimed. Remus sighed in defeat. "And Lily, we need a nickname for you, since you're now an honorary Marauder." Sirius said, tapping his chin thoughtfully. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm touched." I replied sarcastically. Sirius didn't seem to pay attention. He was too busy thinking of a name.

After twenty minutes of discussing Quidditch with James and Remus, he finally had some sort of breakthrough.

"Okay, I have an idea!" Sirus yelled, which once again, turned a few, now irate, heads. "I don't have any _real_ ideas, too much thinking," He explained. "So we'll just call her Red." He finished. I rolled my eyes. _Red_? Really? Could he get more unoriginal?

"Real original." I muttered sarcastically. James snickered.

"Hey guys, look, it's _snowing_!" Remus yelled, jumping up and running to the window. I looked outside. He was right; Little, white fakes were falling and quickly covering the ground.

"Nice try Moony, but I'm not falling for your childish antics." Sirius said, crossing his arms over his chest and turning the other way. I rolled my eyes. It was becoming an hourly habit with him around.

"Padfoot, he's right." James assured him. I nodded in agreement.

"Red, you too?" Oh alright." He turned around and his face lit up. "AWESOME!" He bellowed, pumping his fist. He jumped up and ran out the door with Remus following, equally excited.

"I have heard him yell like that in a while." I realized out loud.

"Yeah, I only realized over summer that he gets quieter when he's sad, on the inside, of course. Ever since I first met him, his voice was obnoxiously loud. I thought that was just how he talked until he quieted over summer and stayed liked that until recently. I realized it was because he was sad." James explained, only slightly morosely. I smiled. I was really glad Sirius was happy. He deserved to be. As much of a prat he was, he's friendly, smart (although, I'd never admit it to his face), brave, hilarious, and had a good morale. None of us had to rebel against a family of Death Eaters. I laughed silently at the thought of Sirius being a "bad boy". His dark hair, good-looking features, looming figure, troubled household, and yet a sensitive heart would make it perfect.

"Let's go play in the snow!" I exclaimed, breaking out of my reverie. I pulled James up. I loved the cold and the snow a lot more than summer. I hated the heat. James smiled brightly and let me drag him to where Sirius and Remus were.

"Red, it's time to play in the snow, Marauder style!" Sirius exclaimed, flashing me a toothy grin.

"Alright, so first, we get more snow." Remus said, flicking his wand and muttering something. Four large mounds of snow about ten feet high appeared.

"Then we pick teams. I call Lily." James added, bringing me closer to him.

"And we make rules. I get to choose this time, so: You can only use the snow you have, can't transfigure or conjure up more, or taking it from the ground. You can only use anything you have on you, in other words, you can't _Accio_ something. You can build the fort using magic, but only using the snow. The fort _has_ to be 100% snow. When you run out of snow from your mound, you have to start taking it from your fort. When your fort can't cover you and your partner completely, you lose." Sirius told me. "Okay, five minutes to build the fort." Sirius said. "Timer, Remus?" Remus conjured a timer and set it to five. "NOW!" Remus clicked the timer. James took me a few yards away from them.

"Okay, first, do some warming charms on both of us." James instructed. I performed the charm and nodded so he would know. "Now, do that charm so my glasses will be protected and I'll still be able to see if the snow hits them." He said. I did that one, too. "Now, I like to make my forts fancy and symbolic. You can use our second mound to make some snowballs." He instructed. I nodded and turned around to start clumping the snow into snowballs, magically of course. I remembered seeing the Marauders playing this game dozens of times before. I wasn't stalking, I always thought the forts were extraordinary magic and the tactics were pretty intricate.

"Alright. I've made snowballs out of our last…" I started, but stopped, to gape at our fort. It was beautiful. It was a doe and a stag right next to each other, leaving no space in the middle. It was a good seven feet high, so it could easily cover James' 5 foot 11 inch frame. "Wow." I managed to say. James laughed.

"I'm especially proud of this one; it's turned out the best of all my other ones." He said. "Now, can you do that charm to protect it, in case they target the fort instead of us?" He asked. I did as he said, and reminded myself to teach him the actual names of the charms. Knowing the names of the charms themselves were as important as knowing the incantation, according to Flitwick, anyway. "So, Sirius forgot that I have my cloak with me. If you levitate me with my cloak on to the top of our fort, I can attack from up there and it'll take them a while to realize what's happening. When they do, they'll never be able to reach the height-It's too high." I nodded in agreement. I don't think either of them could throw about seven feet and at that steep angle, too. _BRIIINNNNGGGG_

"Red, Prongs, Time's up!" Sirius yelled from the other side of our fort.

"This is tradition; we walk up to them, shake their hands, glare for exactly a minute at the person standing across from us and come back, alright?" James told me as we walked in front of the fort. I nodded. These people and their silly traditions.

I looked at Remus and Sirius' fort. It was a large dog, presumably for Sirius' animagus form. It was only about one and a half feet taller than ours.

"Evans. Potter." Sirius greeted by nodding his head at each of us.

"Black. Lupin." James replied, in the same manner Sirius had. I shook hands with Sirius…or would he be Black now…? I shook hands with _Black_ and glared, wondering how on _Earth_ I managed to keep a straight face. The entire situation was too comical not to. He glared right back. It seemed like forever, but finally, James took my hand and led me back to the back of our fort. "Okay, we have exactly three minutes before we actually start. When we do, you need to make sure you aren't the first one to throw a snow ball, okay? I mean, unless like three minutes have passed, don't throw a single one. Now, quickly levitate me up there." He said, pulling his cloak out of his pocket.

"How am I supposed to know that you reached there if I can't see you?" I asked him, raising my wand to levitate him.

"Hmm…good point. Oh, I know, I'll just hold this snow ball out and then you'll be able to tell where I am." He said, covering his body half-way.

"Alright," I said hesitantly. It was worth a shot. He covered himself entirely, and stuck out the arm holding a snowball. "_Wingardium Leviosa_." I said, my wand pointing at him. I raised my arm and slowly levitated him to the head of the stag. I noticed the head was very flat at the top. He probably made it to suit the plan. I set him down and his arm put the snow ball down. He gave me a thumbs up. I smiled back. He pointed to the right of me. I looked where he was pointing and it was the stash of snowballs. He wanted me to levitate some up there. I set aside a pile of about twenty and levitated all of them right near him. He gave me another thumbs up. I figure I could keep a watch on him and levitate him some more if he ran out.

"Evans, Potter, it's time to begin. Hopefully you two aren't shagging back there. OW! Moony, did you have to hit me?" I heard Sirius' voice say.

"YES." Remus…er, _Lupin_ and I responded in unison.

"LET IT BEGIN!" Sirius bellowed. At first, there were no movements. Everyone stayed still, no snowballs were thrown. My heart was pounding, waiting for the first attack. After about two minutes of dead silence, the first snowball was thrown. It was aimed, as James predicted, at our fort. I could hear Sirius curse loudly when nothing happened to our fort. I saw a snowball launch at their side, and it was probably James. I knew the snowball had hit because I heard a girlish scream from one of them. I giggled and performed a disillusionment charm on myself. Sure the footsteps would show up, but only if they took notice. I wasn't going to go past our fort. I stepped carefully, trying not to make any clear imprints in the ground. I picked up a snowball from our stash that I brought with me and threw it and their fort, trying to go with the tactics they had. Of course, they didn't protect their as we did, so part of the dog crumbled. I quickly threw more snowballs and the dog's feet, hoping the entire thing would crumble if the base did. My last snowball did nothing to the fort, so I assumed that Remus finally put the charm on his fort that I did with ours. This was going to get difficult. I disillusioned myself and moved back, contemplating what to do.

"Lily, I have another idea!" James said, appearing next to me. I jumped a foot.

"MERLIN, James don't _do_ that!" I yelped. He ignored me.

"Okay, so we both protected our forts, right? Why don't we just go on offense? Their fort is about two feet shorter than it was before, thanks to your brilliance, so we can afford to go on offense. We have the upper hand." He said. "So, we're going to weaken their forces…pelt as many snowballs as we can at them. You take left, I'll take right and above." He said. I walked over to the left of our fort.

"How are you taking above?" I asked. He brought out his wand and I nodded.

"Alright…go!" He said. I threw several snowballs to their side. I stopped for a few moments and felt a snowball hit my leg. I turned around no one was there…but there were footsteps in the snow leading about a five feet away from me. It was Sirius, Remus would've remembered to cover his tracks. I began rapidly firing snowballs at him, not stopping, until he decided to run back, shown by the foot steps. I smiled wide. My piled needed restocking once more and I looked to our master pile to see several snowballs being lifted off the ground. They were moving to the direction of Sirius and Remus' fort when they stopped suddenly. And it hit me, no, not the snowball. Sirius was just a distraction so Remus could take them. I threw several snowballs at Remus and he automatically dropped ours. I sent the snowballs that he dropped flying towards him with my wand. I made him reappear again and he fell on his back, I moved closer and pelted him a few more times. He covered himself as much as he could, but it was a lost battle.

"Do you surrender?" I asked innocently. Remus eyed the arm that still had a snowball in it. Remus smiled wide and I was confused for a moment, what was he so happy about? I felt two hands push me and I landed right on top of Remus.

"You know Lily, not that I don't like you or anything, but you're kind of with my best mate." He said cheekily. I rolled my eyes.

"Very funny." I muttered, getting off of him. "As I was saying, do you surrender?" I asked, once again threatening him with the snowball. He raised an eyebrow.

"HA! I GOT YOU NOW BLACK!" I heard James roar from behind me. I wanted to turn around, but I was afraid Remus might make a move if I did. However, I didn't need to. Sirius fell right next to Remus, probably because James sent him soaring. I was surprised it didn't hurt. After all, the hard land was still there. Sirius only smiled evilly. James came over.

"Nice job." He complimented.

"You did well too." I replied, smiling. He leaned in and kissed me, causing Sirius and Remus to groan.

"OKAY! We surrender, this punishment is bad enough! AUGH THE PAIN! MY INNOCENCE!" Sirius wailed, covering his eyes. James and I broke apart, but he put a warm hand around my shoulders. I rolled my eyes.

"Your innocence? I'm pretty sure you lost that about six years ago." I reminded him. He stuck his tongue out at me.

"HA! We win!" James yelled triumphantly.

"Don't be too happy. You only get bragging rights…at least until the _next_ snowfall!" Remus said with a smug grin. We all broke out into laughter and James and I sat down across from them, enjoying this wonderful day. I was really glad everything turned out great today, and not a death eater or jealous girl in sight! We really needed more days like this.

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys. I've been feeling kind of down lately. **

**My mom told me a few days ago she got breast cancer. Thankfully, she only had it for a month before she realized (good thing her closest friend _specializes_ in breast cancer) so she'll be fine, but the news isn't something to take lightly.**

**I'm surprised I managed to write such a happy chapter. And the next one, which is already written is happy too. Funny how are brains work, eh?**

**So, please review, guys? It'll really make my day :)**

**Love,**

**SAM :)  
**


	16. A Reason To Party

Chapter 16: A Reason To Party

"Add 5 mice, stir clockwise…" I muttered to myself. I was in the library, studying for a Potions test tomorrow. Between classes, homework, prefect duties, and James, I barely had anytime to stop and breathe. They started us on Apparition classes a few days ago and that gave me even less time. I sighed and looked down at my notes again. I felt a hand cover my mouth.

"Don't. Say. A. Word." The voice said. I rolled my eyes. It was only Sirius being…anything but serious. Pun very intended. He stood me up and pushed my head into his chest and held my arms behind my back with his free hand. He walked me to the back of the library. James and Peter were already there, engaging in some sort of conversation. James' eyes widened when he saw me.

"Padfoot, when you said you were going to bring her here, I thought you meant _civilly_, not practically _kidnapping_ her!" James whined. Peter snickered.

"Yes, but this ways' more fun. Not to mention, she is _quite_ cuddly." Sirius said, wrapping his arms around my waist. James glared at him but didn't move. I looked up at Sirius and he had a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Come on Prongs, I know you're jealous!" Sirius taunted. He rubbed my stomach, but swatted his arm away. James let out a deep growl.

"James, don't do anything, you have one more minute to hold yourself." Peter said, glancing at his wristwatch.

"Oh, one more _minute of fun_ for me!" Sirius smiled. I rolled my eyes. Knowing them, this was some kind of bet. Sirius pulled me closer to him, so every part of my back was touching him. James narrowed his eyes. I had a feeling this was going to get very interesting.

"30 more seconds. Padfoot, at this rate, you're going to lose!" I turned around and saw a smug grin on Sirius' face. He started stroking my hair as he evilly grinned. I felt like a cat. I looked at the desk James was holding, and he tightened his grip on it, causing his knuckles to turn white. He gritted his teeth but remained where he was. It seemed like James was going to win this. Of course, Sirius must have decided he needed to step up his game, so slid his hand down to my hip. James stood upright and glared at Sirius, as though daring him to go on.

"10 seconds!" Peter said, grinning. He was obviously enjoying the show. I would, too, but I was practically being harassed right now… I looked at Sirius who was now smiling like a mad man. He slowly and carefully moved his hand down to my thigh and kept his eyes on James. I definitely would've jumped up or moved his hands away, but my hands were held behind my back and he held me tight so I couldn't move. He then proceeded to _rub my thigh_, which was _extremely_ uncomfortable, so I squirmed in his grip. James' eyes bulged out and he growled again. James ran towards us and knocked us down. It took me a few moments to regain my senses, and when I did, I found myself right in the middle of Sirius and James. James smiled at me and I laughed. He put a hand through my hair and kissed me.

"Guys! Get _off of me_!" Sirius wailed from under us. I felt my face turn red. Only now did I register how awkward and wrong this situation was. It would look worse if someone else saw. James got off of me first and then pulled me up. As Sirius got up and started muttering to him self. "Trying to snog while I'm under them. Merlin, that was _gross_." Of course, because of his loud voice, we all heard and laughed.

"Okay guys, we _really_ need to get back on track. Moony will probably finish his shower any minute now!" Peter said impatiently as he looked at the map.

"_Hold on_!" Sirius said.

"What?" Peter hissed very un-Peter like.

"Prongs needs to hand over the money. I won." Sirius said with a smug grin.

"No Padfoot, you didn't. Prongs did. He jumped on you guys _after_ the last second was up." Peter corrected.

"He...what? But…he…and…I…her…_Bloody Hell_." Sirius screamed. I giggled. He shuffled though his pockets and gave James a few galleons.

"Wait." I said. They all looked at me in confusion. "I deserve half. I was practically _harassed_!" I explained. James considered it for a moment and gave me half of it.

"You know there's a name for girls who get money in exchange for…favors." Sirius snickered.

"GIT!" James and I screamed at the same time. We both smacked him on the head.

"Hey! Watch the hair!" He screeched. We slapped him on the arm, and for good measure, I kicked him in the shin. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry." He sighed, backing away from us both.

"GUYS! Concentrate!" Peter yelled. We all looked at him in surprise. I didn't think he could yell that loud. But, he _was _a Marauder. "We need to plan this for Moony!" Peter said in the same tone.

"Right, right. Okay, so we're planning it for his actual birthday, when else? It's two days from today. Padfoot, Wormtail, you're in charge of decorating the common room and the music. I'll figure out the food and getting people to come shouldn't be a problem. Lily, you need to keep Moony distracted." James rolled on, kicking into his usual leader-mode. We all nodded.

"I can probably explain to Amelia, and we can arrange for him to patrol that day for the amount of time necessary." I told him.

"That's great. Padfoot, make the music _enjoyable_ please." James warned. Sirius nodded, and smiled as though he had a plan in mind.

"Moony left our dormitory. We better head back that way." Peter said, looking at the map once more.

"Alright. Lily, you coming?" James asked. I nodded and packed up my stuff.

"So what _exactly _was the bet about? I figured out most of it, but I want to know the exact details." I told James. He ruffled his hair a bit.

"Well, Padfoot bet that I can't hold myself when I'm jealous and I said I could. So, we had the timer for one minute and thirty seconds. We had specific rules though; he couldn't kiss you, or touch er…_certain_ parts of your body. And he couldn't touch your bare skin." He explained.

"Boys." I muttered to myself in disbelief. They honestly had nothing better to do, did they?

"Red liked it, though, didn't you?" Sirius said, winking. He wrapped his arms around my waist. I rolled my eyes.

"No Sirius, I most definitely did _not_ like it." I told him. I squirmed out of his grip and walked over to James and hugged him.

"Red, you wound me!" Sirius said dramatically and put his hands over his heart. I rolled my eyes again.

"Okay, so Remus should be back in about ten minutes. Is there anything else you want me to do?" I asked.

"Yeah, go stand outside the common room." Sirius said as he helped James put up a banner. I shrugged and left the common room. I stood in front of the Fat Lady. Right now, we were getting ready for Remus' surprise party. The day passed by pretty eventfully. In the morning, Sirius, Peter, and James got the entire Great Hall to sing Happy Birthday, save the Slytherins. Remus looked like he didn't enjoy it, but I think he was secretly glad. Sirius also made a hat for Remus to wear that said "Birthday Wolf" but Remus refused to wear it because of the "wolf" part, so Sirius changed it to boy and put it on his head. It had flashing words and attracted a lot, and probably too much attention. In Transfiguration, McGonagall asked Remus to take it off because the lights were too distracting. But Sirius being _Sirius_ messed up the charms and it was stuck to Remus' head. She tried several charms with no avail. She called for Dumbledore, who removed it with a flick of his wand. It amazed me how he didn't even have to think twice. I really wouldn't be surprised if he had a whole book of spells entitled _Spells to Reverse Marauders' Screw-ups_.

Remus was currently patrolling with the girl Hufflepuff prefect. I had Amelia arrange that the boy prefect ask Remus to switch patrol times with him for this week.

Inside, the common room was decorated with Gryffindor colors and many people showed up and were waiting in the Common Room now. Peter arranged for a _lot_ of food because he knew the house elves well. Sirius said he got music from his own collection, so I was _hoping_ the music wasn't too out of the ordinary. James being James went around ordering the three of us around, claiming he had to "make everything perfect". He strongly reminded me of a girl on her wedding day.

"Hi Lily!" Remus said, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Oh, hey Remus."

"So, what are you doing out here?" He asked. I had two options. Find an excuse or just lead him in without answering. Frankly, I prefer the latter.

"Feliz Cumpleaños." I told the portrait. It was Spanish for Happy Birthday. I set it up with her so inside, Peter, who was listening on the other side of the Portrait, would hear the special password and realize it's me and Remus. Then, he'd go tell the others to hide. Yes, it had to be complicated. This was _Remus_ we were talking about.

"When'd they change the password?" Remus asked, confused.

"Oh, I just changed it a few minutes earlier!" The Fat Lady replied. "Good day!" She said, smiling. She swung open and winked as we went through.

"SURPRISE!" We heard almost the second we stepped through. I grinned. It looked like the entire Gryffindor Tower decided to come! Remus' eyes widened and his face turned red.

"Wow" Was all he could say. I smiled and hugged him.

"Happy Birthday!" I said.

"Moony, let go of my girlfriend before I have to hit you on your birthday." James laughed. We separated and James and Remus did one of their weird man-hugs with pats on the back and all that craziness. Sirius came out from the crowd and James backed up about five feet from Remus, and just when I was about to question why, Sirius ran towards Remus with his arms wide and a goofy grin plastered on his face. He hugged Remus by his waist and lifted him up and twirled him around.

"PADFOOT!" Remus screamed in terror. "PUT ME DOWN!"

"Awww…alright…." Sirius said dejectedly, putting Remus on his feet. Remus sighed in relief. He turned around to Peter and gave him a quick hug. Peter wasn't a hugger.

"How long have you guys been planning this?" Remus asked in an amused, grateful, yet reprimanding voice.

"Well…we've been thinking about it for a month, we actually started _planning_ it a few days ago." James explained.

"How'd you get all these people to come then?" Remus asked in disbelief, gesturing to the party in front of him.

"We're Gryffindors, Moony." Sirius said as though that explained everything. Remus smiled. "Well, why are we standing around, then? Let's get this party started!" Sirius yelled, pumping his fist. He turned on the music with a flick of his wand and started dancing in the middle of the common room. I rolled my eyes.

"Are you coming?" James asked, gesturing where a crowd was quickly forming around Sirius. I shook my head.

"You know how I am about parties. I'll stay down here, but I'm not joining…_that_." I said, looking over to the crowd in disgust. He looked at me sadly and he begged me with my eyes. I was just about to give in when I heard Sirius screaming and yelling. I shook my head. "Sorry." I told him, giving him a small smile. He sighed.

"Fine." He touched my cheek with his hand. He sighed sadly once more, but left and joined the big mob concentrated in the middle of the common room. I felt a little guilty but there was absolutely NO WAY I was going in there. I was a horrible dancer. End of story.

I walked past the mob, trying to avoid everyone. I knew if I accidentally ran into Sirius, he wouldn't take no for an answer and would drag me by the ear if he had to. I sighed in relief as I reached the fireplace area without anyone stopping me. I sat down on my usual couch in front of the fireplace.

"Hello." I heard a soft voice next to me say. The girl sat down next to me. It was Marlene Merrit. We knew each other, but never _really_ talked.

"Hey Marlene." I replied. "Didn't want to join either?" I asked, jerking my thumb in the direction of the ever-growing party.

"Well, I was in it. And then some ridiculous song came on and I left." She explained. I listened a bit more closely.

_I see a little silhouetto of a man_

_Scaramouch, Scaramouch, Will you do the Fandango?_

_Thunderbolts are lightning, very very frightening me_

_Galileo, Galileo, Galileo, Galileo, Galileo, Figaro_

_Magnifico_

_I'm just a poor boy, _

_Nobody loves me_

_He's just a poor boy, from a poor family_

_Spare him his life from this monstrosity_

I laughed. "This is Sirius' collection." I explained.

"Oh, well that explains a lot. I've always thought he and Dumbledore had that one thing in common: Being off their rockers. Absolutely loony in the head, the both of them." She laughed. I smiled. I was actually having fun, rather than sitting in a corner reading my muggle books. Suddenly, the whole common room quieted. All that could be heard was the music.

_Hey Jude don't make it bad  
Take a sad song and make it better  
Remember to let her into your heart  
Then you can start to make it better_

"Oh, I love this song!" I exclaimed. My dad always used to play it and sing along to it whenever it came on the wireless.

"That's great. Maybe you'll agree to dance?" James asked from behind me. I smiled and looked at Marlene. She shrugged, telling me it was fine with her. I followed James to the dance floor and put his arms around my waist. I put my arms around his neck and he pulled me closer. We started swaying, but only lightly. "Great success, wasn't it? The party, I mean."

"Yeah, seemed like everyone enjoyed it. With all of our homework and tests, it's great to wind down. And, I'm glad we're finding happy things, especially in such dismal times." I told James, unable to look away from his gaze that always took my breath away.

"Definitely." He agreed.

"May I cut in?" Sirius asked, with a hint of mockery in his voice. James growled, still not taking his eyes off of me.

"No Padfoot, you may not." He replied.

"Oh come on! I'm your best mate! I won't do anything!" Sirius whined.

"That's too bad." James smirked. "She's all mine." He said, hugging me to his chest. I rolled my eyes. Boys.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry about the short chapter. It's more of a filler, really. **

**Not much time anymore. I gotta take care of my brother, and grandmother while my parents have been in New York all week. But, I'm glad I can update, writing really helps me wind down. **

**I'm happy with all of the reviews I got last chapter, I really appreciate it! :)**

**I'm hoping we can hit 40, how about we try for that?**

**And, what do you think, should I make Marlene a larger part of the story, Lily's new best friend? Or should I leave Lily's only friends as the Marauders?**

**Love,**

**SAM :)**

**EDIT: I changed Marlene's last name for a purpose later in the story. I know it's slightly AU, but it's so she WON'T end up with Sirius.  
**


	17. New Year's Eve Party

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize**

Chapter 17: New Year's Eve

I stepped out of the bathroom and flopped down on my bed, my stomach flipping with excitement for tonight. Tonight would be the New Year's Eve party James was throwing at his house. Apparently, most of Gryffindor was coming, since he put up a flyer in the common room the day before term ended. But, we figured a few Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were going to be there too. We were _really_ hoping no Slytherins would decide to show up.

The last few weeks at school were uneventful, and everyone was winding down, excited for the holidays to come. Of course, many people, muggle-borns, in particular were worried about gong home, because of all the Death Eater attacks. The attacks were getting worse and worse. It would only be a matter of time before they took over the ministry. Soon, when the next batch of students graduate, basically my year, You-Know-Who will probably be even more powerful. I wasn't going to lie, the Junior Death Eaters are pretty faithful to him and they've only seen him possibly once or twice in their lives.

I stood up and knocked something over. Picking it up, I realized it was one of the many Christmas gifts I received a week ago. This one was a book called "The Three Musketeers" from Petunia. From my mom, I got a new pair of jeans-ones that I was planning on wearing tonight. From my dad, I got a book about Muggle Sciences. I got Petunia a nice dress I found over summer. It was when I usually did my shopping for her, because I was stuck in Hogwarts from September 1st to Christmas and she hated anything and everything magic-related. My parents, however, were just the opposite. They found the moving pictures, food, and the quills fascinating, so I always got them something like that.

From Remus, I got a pair of green earrings, which perfectly matched my eyes, from Sirius, I got a silver charm bracelet, and from Peter, I got green and black charms to go on the bracelet. I was starting to think they planned it out that way, and James' gift proved it. It was a necklace with a silver heart-shaped locket and green engravings on it. Inside was 'I love you, Lily' on one side and 'Forever & Always' on the other. I was in tears when I saw it, it was one of the sweetest gifts I've ever gotten. My mum thought it was the most romantic thing she'd ever seen. My dad just grunted and glared at it angrily for a long time. Of course then, an owl swooped by and dropped an envelope on the table, containing two tickets, box seats, to the next Puddlemere United game, escorted by Fabian and Gideon Prewett. It was a present from James, knowing my dad wouldn't be too excited about James' present to me. It worked, because my dad looked at me, then the envelope and said, "He's a suck-up. But he's a bloody good one."

I was most pleased by Petunia's reaction. She stared, wide-mouthed at the locket. She didn't even look at me before she ran off to her room and barely came out. I did start to feel guilty after that, because I was using James' gift to make Petunia jealous.

"Lily, how are you going to get to James' house now?" Mum yelled up the stairs.

"Remus is apparating here and taking me back!" I yelled back. She came upstairs.

"Okay, and you're staying the night there…right?" She asked hesitantly. I rolled my eyes. I knew this conversation would come some time.

"Yes I am." I told her.

"Without his parents?" She clarified.

"Yes I am." I repeated. She gave me a small smile. She was having a mental battle right now, I knew. On one hand, she trusted me and James not to do anything, but she was afraid we'd do something unintentionally that both of us would end up regretting.

"Is there going to be…drinks?" She asked.

"No, I banned it." I promised her. She sighed.

"Henry, you can stop listening in the hallway, there's not going to be any drinks!" My mother yelled in the direction of the door. I glared at her. My dad was listening the entire time!

"Now listen, Lily, if I find _he_ did anything that you didn't want to do…and even if you _did_ want to do it, _he_ will be killed." My dad said fiercely. I rolled my eyes.

"We're not going to be doing anything." I assured him. "Besides, it's not going to be just us, his friends are staying over, too." I realized it was the wrong thing to say as it left my mouth.

"_Friends_? WHAT?" My dad asked paling.

"But they're really nice. Remus is really smart and responsible, and Sirius swore off girls, no he's not gay, and Peter only eats." I said really quickly, biting my lip. Whoops. My mom and dad both raised an eyebrow at me. My mom rolled her eyes. Well, that's where I got that from.

"Fine." My dad grunted, and left with his arms crossed over his chest.

"So what are you going to wear?" My mom asked excitedly. I turned towards my closet and found a nice black sweater that would go well with my jeans.

"This." I said, showing her. She nodded in approval.

"Well, get ready quickly, isn't Remus supposed to be here in a half an hour?" She asked. I looked at the alarm clock on my bedside table. Wow, time passes quickly.

"Yeah, yeah." I said, shooing her out the door and closing it behind her. I changed into my clothes, put on a little bit of eyeliner, combed my hair and put on the earrings, bracelet, and necklace I got, and my shoes. I looked at my wand on my desk. I put in my back pocket, better safe than sorry. I took a magic drawstring bag from my drawer and put a few of my clothes in it. It shrunk when you pulled on the strings and resized when you pulled on them again. Hagrid gave it to me last year for my birthday. I put the shrunk bag in my right pocket. I opened my door and descended the stairs to wait for Remus. My mom came in from the kitchen.

"Be careful, honey. And I don't mean about James." She told me grimly. I nodded. I knew what she was talking about. The Death Eaters. _Bzzzzzzz_

"That's Remus." I said, opening the door. "Hi Remus!" I said, giving him a quick hug. He smiled.

"Hi Lily." He replied. He was wearing a blue button down shirt and jeans.

"Come in." I said, opening the door a little wider. He stepped in.

"Hi Remus!" Mum exclaimed, giving him a hug, which took Remus by surprise. I sniggered. He should have expected that, my mum was like me in that sense, we're both hugging people.

"Hi, Mrs. Evans." He replied after she let go of him.

"Hello, Remus!" My father said cheerily. He liked Remus a lot, since we've been friends for a while and according to my dad, 'he hasn't pulled a move on you'.

"Hi Mr. Evans! Well, Lily and I need to get going, or James might come searching for us." Remus laughed. I nodded.

"Okay then, have fun guys!" My mom said. I waved and stepped out the door with Remus following.

"You won't like this, but we're going to go near Spinner's End to apparate to Prongs' house, there's too many muggles here." Remus said, waving his arm in the direction of the neighboring house. I nodded in agreement.

"Thanks for the earrings by the way." I told him, my hands automatically reaching up to them.

"You're welcome. The entire thing was planned by Prongs. He saw it when we visited Hogsmeade one day, and I'm sure you don't want to know how we did that." I nodded. I really didn't want to know. "He saw it and he knew it was perfect for you, so he let us use it for our gifts too." He explained. I smiled. James was really sweet and I was glad he deflated his head enough to realize that without his arrogance, he could be a good person. I touched the locket and ran my fingers over the engravings. We reached the playground I used to play at with Petunia and Snape before Hogwarts. I looked around; really hoping Snape wouldn't show up here. Of course, that idea was crushed when he walked towards us. Remus sighed loudly. "Snape, what do you want?" Remus asked irately.

"Now, is that a way to greet the one who has the happy power to get you kicked out of school by the Ministry and unable to get a job for the rest of your life?" Snape asked with a smug grin. I glared at him. "What are you two doing together…and without Potter? I don't think he'd like if his girlfriend and best mate were cheating on him" He smirked. I rolled my eyes.

"Betrayal...Sound familiar?" I sneered. His expression faltered. "Remus, we should really get going, or James might actually come looking for us." He nodded. Snape spat on the ground, turned around, and left.

"Have you ever side-along apparated before?" He asked. I shook my head. "Alright, just hold on to my arm." He instructed. I did as I was told and closed my eyes. His arm moved lightly away from mine and I felt the familiar apparition sensation. I breathed a sigh of relief when I opened my eyes. We were at the Potters' front door. Remus knocked on the door twice, then paused and knocked on it slowly four more times. "It's our secret knock." he explained. I rolled my eyes. The door opened and Sirius appeared in the doorway. Remus and I entered and Sirius closed the door behind us. I was surprised he didn't attack either of us with a hug.

"Red! Moony!" He yelled, enveloping us in him arms. I spoke too soon.

"Padfoot, leave them alone." James laughed as he and Peter came from the living room. Sirius let go of us and I sighed in relief. Those hugs were going to kill me one day. I walked over to James and hugged him tightly. I really missed him this past week. And if I thought that this time last year, I might have thrown myself off the Astronomy Tower.

"Hey." I breathed in his ear, still hugging him.

"Hi. I missed you." He murmured, his eyes closed as he rubbed circles on my back.

"Me too." I replied with a sigh. He gave me a quick peck on the lips.

"Thanks for the gift, by the way." We both said at the same time. He opened his eyes and we both laughed.

"My mum loved it, my dad hated it. Well, until you sent the Quidditch game tickets." I smiled.

"Yeah, that was Moony's idea. You know, my parents just about _died_ laughing when they saw the Angel." He told me. I laughed. The Potters were hilarious.

"Are they having a good vacation?" I asked He nodded.

"They floo in from time to time. They say they're having a great time, letting all their stress out, but I know that's not entirely true. Once an Auror, always an Auror. You can't stop being slightly paranoid."

"Constant vigilance!" Two voices came from upstairs. I jumped a little and nearly knocked off James' glasses with my head. I looked up. Two red-head guys who looked about in their mid-twenties were coming downstairs.

"Lily, meet Fabian and Gideon Prewett." James told me. He wrapped an arm a round my waist and faced them. Sirius, James and Peter had a hint of admiration in their eyes. I looked at Remus and we rolled our eyes at them.

"Hello." I said politely.

"You're the infamous Evans?" One said.

"We could probably recite everything from your favorite food to the different color socks you have!"

"_That_'s how much this idiot talks about you."

"So I've heard." I grinned.

"Anyway, how's Auror training?" James asked abruptly.

"Oh, it's great!"

"Moody's slightly off his rocker, though."

"Alice and Frank recently joined us, you know."

"Yeah they're great."

"Perfect."

"Extraordinary." They chorused. The way they talked was like they were playing a game of ping pong with words. It was entertaining.

"Alright. Everyone will be here in two hours-" James started.

"Wait." I interrupted. "How do we know that the guests aren't Death Eaters in disguise?" I asked.

"We thought of that already. We're going to ask them questions only Hogwarts students or Gryffindors would know." Remus explained.

"Good idea." I complimented.

"It was actually Wormtail's idea." Sirius added, patting him on the back.

"Okay, so we should get started on decorations, really." James said. "Lily and I will do the stairs, and dining room, Wormtail, Padfoot and Moony will do the family room and living room, Fabian and Gideon will figure out the food. If you two want, you can get help from some of the Hogwarts house elves." James told everyone. We all nodded and set off to work.

* * *

The first knock came at around eight. Pretty much two hours after we started decorating. By that time we were just sitting around and talking.

"I'll get it." Remus said. He walked to the door and looked through the peephole. "Wow, there's like twenty of them. Padfoot, why don't you help me question all of these guys?" He asked. Sirius got up, sighing really loudly.

"Fiiiiiinnnnnnneeeeee." He whined as he stomped towards the door. I laughed. I looked at Peter, Fabian and Gideon. They were all talking about something. It was either food or Quidditch. I turned to James.

"Do Fabian and Gideon know that you guys are Animagi?" I whispered to him. He nodded.

"They're also Honorary Marauders." He smiled. "So they know about Remus too." He added.

"Okay Prongs, these guys are real." Sirius said, jerking his thumb at the doorway.

"Great, let them in." He replied with a smile and stood up. "And you, you're _not_ leaving my side." James said, putting a firm arm around my waist. I sighed in defeat.

"Fiiiiiinnnnnnneeeeee." I whined like Sirius just did. He smiled goofily at me.

"They're coming by the fifties. This is getting difficult!" Sirius yelped, taking another look through the peephole.

"It's okay Padfoot, once everyone finishes coming, in like ten minutes, you'll be free to party the rest of the time." Peter assured him.

"Why don't we go into the living room? Lily and I can help you set up that clock, Wormtail." James said. "He's as good as the rest of us when we tell him what spells to use. Otherwise, he has trouble thinking of them himself." We led Peter to the living room. There was a large empty space above the fire place.

"I take it that's where you want the clock?" Peter asked. James nodded. James started telling Peter what to do for the spells and occasionally asked me to make sure he had them right. By the time we were done, everyone was here and no else would be coming.

"We made sure that people could only arrive from 8 to 8:20. It makes it easier and safer. Charms put on by my parents." James explained. Sirius started the music, more from his collection, apparently. James specifically asked him _not_ to play the song that scared pretty much everyone off the dance floor at Remus' party. Sirius smiled widely at this and agreed. But, he had his mischievous glint in his eyes and I had a feeling he was going to make it up for him some how. It was his favorite song.

For the most part of the party, James dragged me around to greet people and I had to stand there next to him, smiling and glaring at him as he pulled me to talk to every single person there. I was surprised to see Rosen there, though. James said he invited him to make up for what happened during that first patrol I had with him. We mostly jumped around, person to person, and before I knew it, it was about 11:50.

"Hi Lily!" I heard a voice say from behind me. James and I turned around. It was Marlene.

"Hi Marlene! You've been here the entire time? Why haven't I seen you?" I asked, really surprised. I usually saw anything and everything going on around me.

"Well, like you guys, I was jumping around, person to person, too." She laughed.

"Having fun?" James asked. She nodded.

"Yeah, thanks for throwing it! And I'm guessing it's because of Lily you guys don't have drinks?" Marlene said, raising an eyebrow. We nodded. "Of course. Before Lily came along, who ever heard of a Marauder party without drinks?" She smirked.

"10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1! HAPPY NEW YEAR!" I heard Sirius yell. I checked the clock to make sure it wasn't a hoax, and it wasn't. James turned to me and kissed me. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him back. We kissed for at least two minutes before we heard whistling and we had to break up, red in the face.

* * *

**A/N: I know this is like a day late, and I apologize for that. This week I suffered a horrible writer's block and other mom-related stress. And I will say now that I won't be able to get to update again until either Sunday or Monday...November 7th or 8th, sorry :( **

**And this chapter is horribly short and uneventful. And I'm sorry for that too. I've been so busy planning out the next few chapters...I can't say any more than that, just read the next few chapters ;)**

**Any way, Thanks for all the reviews and input!**

**And thanks VERY MUCH to the one who pointed out my "Feliz Navidad" mistake last chapter. I don't know how I messed that up. My spanish teacher would be VERY disappointed in me. **

**So, I once again say, PLEASE REVIEW! **

**Love,**

**SAM :)  
**


	18. Things Start Going Wrong

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize**

Chapter 18: Things Start Going Wrong

I left my dorm and slumped on to the couch across the fire in the common room. I was grateful for some time to just relax and think. In the last two weeks since I came back to school, so much has changed. The biggest one being Marlene. Over the last two weeks, we started to hang out more and we were becoming pretty close friends. I even offered to let her move into my dorm room, since we had an extra bed. She gratefully accepted and we're now spending more time together and with the Marauders. She hasn't gotten close enough with them yet, so they're not as comfortable with her being there. They are trying, though, mostly for my sake. They're really happy that I have a close friend that's a girl.

Currently, she was talking to Professor McGonagall about some Transfiguration homework. When she comes back, we were supposed to go to Hogsmeade. We were going to spend three hours together before meeting up with the Marauders at the Three Broomsticks.

"Alright. I'm back." Marlene said, standing in front of my view of the fire. I smiled and jumped up.

"Okay, let's go!" Time for some well over-due girl time.

"How about we continue our question game from yesterday?" She asked. Yesterday, in History of Magic, we got bored, so we kept asking each other questions, to find out more about each other. So far I found out that she was a pure-blood, coming from an all Gryffindor and Ravenclaw family. She had two younger sisters, her favorite color is green and that her birthday was November 11th.

"Sure." I replied.

"I believe it was your turn?" She asked, leading us out of the portrait. I nodded.

"Okay…hm…" I wondered. I looked outside as we walked down the marble staircase. "What's your favorite time of day?" I asked. She, too, looked outside. She tilted her head in thought as we started going down the last staircase to the first floor.

"I'd have to say sunrise." She decided. I smiled. The sunrise was beautiful and it was my favorite time of day, too. As we passed the huge, brass door of the Great Hall, I heard someone calling my name.

"Lily, LILY" I turned around. It was James followed by Remus, Sirius, and Peter, who were arguing about something.

"Hi James!" I replied, hugging him. He gave me a peck on the lips.

"Can we meet a little earlier? Like in two hours, instead of three? We didn't finish some homework and that Charms test on Tuesday…" His voice trailed off.

"Sure, no problem." I nodded. I turned to Marlene. "That's alright with you?" I asked. She shrugged.

"Yeah, it's cool with me."

"Okay, we'll see you in two hours." I confirmed. James smiled.

"Thanks. Love you." He said, giving me another peck on the lips. I smiled.

"Love you too." I replied. He pulled away and the four left, with Sirius and Peter still bickering about something.

"Was James your first kiss?" Marlene asked. I smiled and nodded.

"Why don't we continue walking?" I suggested. As we reached the gates of Hogsmeade, I remembered, it was still my turn. "Do you prefer the summer or winter, weather wise?"

"Uh, I'd have to say winter. I don't do well in the heat." She shrugged. I nodded. Honeydukes was approaching.

"Should we go in?" I asked.

"Sure, why not?" I opened the door and I was hit by the sweet aroma of chocolate. I took a big breath and smiled wide.

"What's your favorite candy?" Marlene asked as I led her through the shelves of seemingly endless chocolate.

"Chocolate." I answered without thinking. She laughed.

"That's apparent _now_." She said, watching me as I picked up a few chocolate frogs and a few chocolate cauldrons.

"I'm ready to pay, you?" I asked. She nodded. She had six boxes of Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans. I raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, you're the one with all the chocolate!" She said defensively. "And besides, I've been eating these so long, I know which flavor's which." I rolled my eyes and went to go stand in line.

"Have you ever been out of the country?" I asked her, stepping forward in the ridiculously long line. She thought for a minute.

"Yeah, I think it was just France a long time ago, when I was eleven. We have family that moved there when I was eight." She explained. "Speaking of family, I believe it is time for you to answer that question I asked about your sister." She said with a smirk. I sighed and put my chocolate on the counter and brought out my wallet. I paid the cashier, who wrapped the chocolate in a bag and handed it to me. As Marlene went to pay, she smiled and blinked at me expectantly. I sighed once more and waited until we were out of the store to start talking.

"Well my sister and I used to be best friends, best sisters. I think it lasted until I was ten and I started showing more apparent signs of magic, like flying when I jumped off the swings or controlling flowers with my hands."

"You could fly and control flowers?" Marlene blurted out in surprise. I nodded. "You must be pretty powerful, then." I blushed and nodded.

"So one day, when I was controlling the flowers, Snape came around, yes, he lives near me," I added, because she opened her mouth to interrupt. I gestured the passing quill shop. She nodded and we both entered. "So when Snape came around and told me I was a witch, Petunia got jealous and started calling both of us freaks and really started ignoring me." I paused to examine a quill on one of the shelves. "While Petunia drifted away, I became closer to Snape. He was like her replacement. Like Petunia was supposed to lead me into the muggle world, Snape led me into the magical world. He told me most of what I know about it." I told her as I stood in line to pay for the quill. "This made Petunia even more jealous because not only did I have powers she didn't, she was being replaced by _Snape_. Obviously, it took a large blow to her ego, being the person she was, so she's pretty much hated me since then." I finished, pulling out money to pay for the quill. I handed it to the cashier, who put my quill in the bag and we left the store. I turned to Marlene as we walked.

"Oh." Was her only response. She was probably in shock. She came from a loving family that would probably never turn her back on her. No one really knew how this felt for me, except for Sirius. Of course his situation was much worse, this was only my sister, his _whole_ family hated him.

"So I believe it's my turn?" I said, trying to get off the subject. She nodded. "Okay, so where was your dorm room before you moved in with me? Like you weren't with Mary's new crew and you weren't with me, so where were you?" I asked. She smiled sadly.

"You know why there was an empty bed in _their _room? They kicked me out two years ago. I've been with the year younger than us for two years now." She explained, blushing a little. I smiled and patted her back sympathetically. "So, my question: Why do you think we didn't become closer friends earlier? We've known each other as acquaintances for about, what, six years? Since we're both Gryffindors in the same year and don't you think it's weird, especially now that we're getting along?" She asked, turning a little red.

"Hmm…" I said thoughtfully. Why hadn't I thought of that before? This was good; Marlene had her fair share of Ravenclaw in her, like me. Well, what _had_ changed? Something did, whether it was me, or her, or the situation. I voiced these thoughts. "Well, it could be a lot of things, pretty much revolving around me, or you, or the situation changing." I stated. I've become a different person over the last year; I've lost two of my best friends, got the best boyfriend I could ask for, plenty of Junior Death Eaters, and I'm drifting farther away from Petunia than ever. And I guess both of us didn't have any close _girl_ friends before this…" I said. She nodded.

"That's really true. And I guess since we were acquaintances before then, but we were too absorbed in other things to go anywhere." She added. "You know, I was pretty annoyed at you for the longest time in fifth year, I was jealous that you got prefect." She admitted. My eyes widened.

"Weird, I was under the impression I'd gotten it because no one else would want it. Like even Mary, being a natural leader and all, didn't want it." I replied.

"I suppose that was part of the reason, that you and I were the only two who would want it, but you won out because you're much smarter and more responsible than I am." She complimented. I blushed.

"Thanks." I mumbled.

"Look, we're passing Madame Pudifoot's. Do you want to go inside and make fun of people?" She asked me excitedly. I smiled wide.

"Of course, let's go!" I replied. I pulled open the pink laced door and gagged. The table had pink lace all over them, the chairs were pink, there were mini-cupids hanging from the ceiling and every boy in the place looked repulsed to be there. This place was disgusting. You'd have to Imperius me even think about getting James to come here.

"Oh, look at the waiters!" Marlene laughed. I looked around. They were all wearing pink suits. I stifled a laugh as one came over to seat us.

"Hello, how may I serve you?" A male one said, plastering a fake smile on his face. It came out as more of a grimace.

"Dude, where's your dignity?" Mary asked cheekily. The waiter scowled.

"Table for two." I quickly said, trying not to laugh.

"Careful Red, this place clashes with your hair." The waiter sneered.

"I'm not the one working at the place where there's cupids hanging from the ceiling." I scoffed, pointing at the ceiling. The waiter scowled again.

"Here's your table." He said through gritted teeth. When he was out of sight, we burst out laughing.

"Did you see his face?" She asked, clutching the table.

"I know, I'm surprised he didn't kick us out!" I laughed.

"They-probably-needed-the-money!" Marlene said in between fits of laughter. We laughed some more, causing our stomachs a bit of pain and earning us stares from the rest of the restaurant. Once we calmed down enough to sit and order, we couldn't decide what to get.

"What is this stuff?" I asked, peering at the menu.

"I thought they were muggle dishes!" Marlene said in disbelief. I shook my head.

"I would've recognized them." I told her.

"Have you decided what to get?" The water asked. He was still glaring at us. I bit my lip to keep from laughing.

"Erm…What's all this stuff?" Marlene asked, still trying to decipher the menu. The water rolled his eyes in a way that rivaled my eye-rolls.

"I'll put it in your terms: There's egg, bacon, soup-"

"I'll have eggs." Marlene cut him off.

"Me too." I added quickly. He looked at us in disgust and walked away with his nose high in the air.

"How does he have any dignity left in him? He must be desperate to meet girls, desperate for a job, or both." Marlene said in disgust, cringing at the lace on our table. I laughed and nodded in agreement.

"And he gets annoyed easily." I added. She nodded and looked around. After a few minutes, she finally spoke up.

"The food here looks horrid. How about we annoy him more and run for it?" She asked with a wide grin. I snickered.

"Let's do it!" I agreed.

"First, let's write our little friend a nice letter." She took a pink napkin from the napkin holder and took out a quill and ink bottle from her bag. "Our dearest friend, the waiter in pink," She read out loud as she wrote. "We are very sorry w e hat to leave on such short notice, but we did have great fun while we were here. We hope that one day we will see you again in the near future. Love, your friends, the two obnoxious teenage girls." She finished. She proceeded to draw hearts around the napkin. She handed it to me and I saw it was written in a loopy script, similar to Dumbledore's handwriting. She had her i's hearted and the handwriting itself was very girly. I laughed.

"Nice." I said, handing it back to her.

"Now, we need to give him a nice tip," Marlene said, pulling out some galleons. I set a few of my own on the table. "Okay, and now we leave, but Marauder style with our own twist." She smiled evilly. She whispered the plan into my ear. I smiled wide. Things were going to get interesting.

"Ready, set, NOW!" I screamed. The people in the restaurant turned to look at us, but I did my best in ignoring them all. Marlene and I pulled out our wands. We muttered the same spell and black stuff sputtered out of our wands. It fell all over the lace on the tables and when our waiter friend came out, his suit became stained with black. We muttered another spell and out came silver stuff and it covered everything that wasn't already black, so the entire place was covered in silver and black instead of pink.

"YOU!" The waiter screamed at us. We burst out laughing.

"RUN!" Marlene screamed. She ran ahead of me, pulled the door opened and ran out, and I followed. "WAIT! We forgot one thing!" She said, running back. She pulled out her wand once more and made the door silver and black and the sign silver and black." She ran further away from the place, and I followed laughing. We halted to a stop after a few minutes of running away.

"I can't believe we just trashed Madame Pudifoot's!" I laughed.

"McGonagall would have a fit if she found out!" Marlene agreed.

"The Marauders would complain about how we took their job!" I added, still laughing.

"Oh no, Lily, it's ten minutes passed the time we're supposed to meet them! We should go!" Marlene said, looking at her wristwatch. Oh no, James was going to murder me. He's probably roaming around Hogsmeade calling my name right now.

"Yeah, we need to get going!" I said. I started walking, but then I realized Marlene wasn't following. I spun around. We were the only ones here, so it was easy to find her. Marlene was standing at the foot of a tree. "Marlene, what are you doing?" I called to her. She didn't turn around so I kept walking. "Marlene?" I called out. I walked faster, and then walked right into someone. "Oh, I'm sorry," I said to the person, still looking at Marlene. I turned to Marlene, but before I could say anything, I felt a tingling sensation and I stopped walking. What was this…?

* * *

**A/N: Right, so I said I wasn't going to update? Hehe. I lied. I didn't think I would, but I did get to it :)**

**So, Happy Diwali to you Indians out there, I celebrated it with my Indian friends :)**

**Now back to the story, **

**This part of the story is my favorite. The entire story was based on the next few chapters. Weird, right?**

**I'm probably going to update next Friday again, so please REVIEW :)**

**Love,**

**SAM :)**


	19. It Only Gets Worse

Chapter 19: It Only Gets Worse

"Lily? Lily! Lily, where are you?" I heard a voice say. It sounded troubled. I felt really weird, like I'd just woken up from a coma. I felt numb all over. The feeling in my toes was slowly coming back though, and I started to feel the weight on my legs again, and even the cool breeze against my ears.

"Lily!" The voice gasped. It sounded hurt and distressed. "Merlin's beard, that _is_ Lily!" The voice said a lot more clearly. I felt this weird urge to go towards the voice, but then I realized, I couldn't see. Everything was dark.

"Prongs, come on. We should just go and leave them be." Another voice said. What? Who's we? Who else is here besides me?

"But Pad-" The first voice protested weakly.

"Prongs, come on." The second voiced repeated sternly.

"Why, why would she do this?" The first voice asked sadly, but it was moving away. The voices sounded familiar, I realized, really familiar. Wait, it was _James_. And the second voice, that was _Sirius_! My eyes shot open. I saw a tan face, brown eyebrows and the eyes were closed. My nose was touching their nose. And my mouth…was on theirs? I staggered backwards. The boy's eyes shot open. He looked alarmed. His blue eyes flashed dark, almost black. He spun on his heel and ran. As he ran, I could see his hair turning darker. That definitely wasn't normal.

This was all too confusing. What just happened. I sat down on the nearest bench. Alright, what did I know? All I knew was that I was supposed to meet James, I was going there, I felt a weird tingling sensation, then sometimes later, I hear James' and Sirius' voices and I open my eyes to find my mouth pressed against some random kids'. That would explain why James ran off. I sighed. James thought I kissed someone who I didn't know I was kissing because I don't even remember who this kid was, nor do I remember ever seeing him. But then, there was the person I knocked into right before I felt the weird tingling sensation. But no, how could their lips just end up on mine, and how could I not remember?

"Lily?" I looked up quickly, hoping it was James so I could explain what happened. But, it was Marlene cautiously walking towards me. She sat down gingerly next to me. "Why exactly were you snogging some other kid?" She asked slowly, her face full of shock. I put my head in my hands.

"I don't know Marlene. One second I was running towards you, then I felt this weird tingling sensation, then another second, I open my eyes to find my lips pressed against someone else's! I'm so confused, Marlene! I don't know what happened or why! And James and Sirius saw the whole thing! And I don't know how I'm going to explain this to him. Knowing James, he won't even want to come within a mile of me! Everything is so wrong right now! Nothing makes sense. I'm horribly confused and it's annoying me that I'm this confused. I don't like being so confused!" I spilled out. She studied my face a little and then probably realized I was telling the truth because her brown eyes were filled with sympathy and she hugged me tightly.

"We'll fix this. We'll find a way." She promised. "For now, we need to get back in the castle and think about all this." I sighed and nodded. We stood up and started walking towards Hogwarts again. People along the way gave me dirty looks that made me want to hide under my bed forever. How did they know already? It was probably Sirius yelling about it and everyone else heard. Marlene probably realized the same thing because she muttered "Sirius, I'm going to kill you!" under her breath. "Just ignore them, Lil." She told me. People were even starting to scowl at me. I really hope I'd be able to explain all this by Monday. Classes would be awful. "Lily, Lily, look there's Remus and Peter!" Marlene said, grabbing my arm. "Maybe you can tell them, and then they'll tell James!" Marlene said excitedly. My spirits rose. I walked quickly towards them. However, our plan died even before we could actually talk to them because they started glaring at me once they saw me. I slowed down my walk and cautiously approached them.

"Remus-" I started.

"Lily, I don't want to hear it, really." Remus said, looking me in the eye. His eyes were filled with anger. I looked at Peter. He scowled and looked ready to murder me. I stepped back.

"Just let me explain, please!" I begged. Remus and Peter just turned around and walked. I sighed. I felt tears form in my eyes and I didn't want to wipe them away.

"Well that was stupid of them." Marlene said angrily. I was glad I had at least one person on my side.

We walked back to the castle in silence and I kept my head down the entire time. When we reached the castle, I was hit by a rush of warmth, but I felt really empty, like I just faced a dementor. Each step was harder to take than the last, and by the time we reached portrait, tears were rapidly falling down my face and my feet wouldn't even lift themselves anymore. "It'll be okay, Lily, it'll be okay." Marlene told me, rubbing my back. It only made me cry harder. She told the Fat Lady the password and we went inside. "Lily, whatever you do, don't look up." Marlene said worriedly. I obeyed. It was probably wise. The Gryffindors would probably be more furious than anyone. Someone must have been brave enough to try to approach me, because Marlene strictly told them off. "Get out of here, she doesn't want to hear it!" Marlene said angrily, pulling out her wand. She led me up the stairs, and Merlin knows where I got that energy from, and into my room.

"Lily!" Marissa gasped when she saw me. "I heard the most absurd thing! Mary told me and Helena that you slept with some random kid! Is that true?" She asked as I sat down on my bed.

"Wow that explains a lot." I said weakly. It did, the whole school probably thought that, too. News passes quickly and usually the rumors are wrong. "And no, I didn't _sleep_ with anyone." I murmured, putting my pillow over my face.

"Yeah. She had a…situation…" Marlene said and proceeded to explain what I told her.

"Ohhhhhh." Marissa and Helena said in sync. Why couldn't James, Sirius, Remus or Peter be more like them? They actually realized that I would never do anything like that and asked me about it before they jumped into conclusions. Of course, James was probably so torn up that they were blinded by anger. I started to cry harder. I realized then, that there was a better place to sit and cry, the place I normally go to cry, before I had James. I got up off my bed and walked towards the door.

"Wait, Lily, where are you going?" Marlene asked. quietly.

"I'm going to the bathroom." I said.

"There's one in here." Helena said softly. I nodded.

"I'm going to Myrtle's bathroom." I told them and descended the stairs without waiting for their response. I ignored the people in the common room, kept my head down, and walked out, trying to ignore the whispers and comments. I walked quickly to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom on the second floor, not paying attention to who I was bumping into. I reached Moaning Myrtle's bathroom quicker than expected and pushed open the bathroom door. Myrtle was sitting on the ledge, looking out the window.

"Hello." She said, not even turning my way.

"Hi Myrtle," I responded dully.

"I see you've decided to join me." She said, now turning to me.

"Well, I guess." Except I'm kind of living…

"Oh, well, have a seat." She said, moving over. I obeyed and sat next to her. She looked at me sympathetically and stared out the window again. I cried harder, and put my hands in my hair.

I really felt like jumping off the Astronomy Tower, but didn't want to; because I knew I could fix it somehow. I really wanted to fix it, to get James back. It was all a misunderstanding and I wish he'd listen to me and realize that. But, he wouldn't listen to me anytime soon. He was still probably shocked over the entire thing. And if he was in my place, I'd do the same thing to him. I'd ignore him, no matter how much he begged and pleaded. But then, would I realize it had been a misunderstanding? Or would I be too stubborn and blind to see anything else?

_Kind of like that situation with Snape_. A voice in my head said.

No, this was nothing like Snape. He meant what he said. And, he even attacked me. I argued back.

_Then why did he come, initially pleading and crying?_

Because…

_It was an accident, he never meant it. What if he only turned to their side to get back at James? It would be your fault that he's ruining his life_. _And he's a Slytherin, obviously he was driven by revenge_.

No, it's his fault. I didn't do anything. Neither did James

_No, I mean to get back at him for instigating him. He never would have called you that if James hadn't humiliated him._

That's true. But he's a Slytherin and they tend to do that. Getting revenge on people. And he's weak. He's weak. Better people than him would've ignored all the peer pressure.

_But-_

Shut up! I sharply told the voice. I sighed. I hated these inner arguments sometimes. And where did this Snape thing even come from? I conjured up a flask and threw it. It shattered into pieces in front of one of the sinks.

"What do you think you're doing?" Myrtle asked. I ignored her and conjured up several more flasks and threw them too. It was weird, but that's how I get over this stuff, throwing things.

"I'm sorry, that's how I usually control my anger." I told Myrtle sheepishly. when I was done. She nodded and backed away from me.

"That's quite alright. I really don't mind having people here. You've stayed here the second longest." Myrtle told me, smiling.

"Mmm…" I said, and looked out the window. The sun was up…? "Myrtle, why is the sun up?" I asked her slowly.

"It's morning silly. Curious, that's what a boy, who came here a few months ago, said to me after he cried for as long as you did, maybe longer. He either fainted or fell asleep for the night. I'm guessing you did the same." She said airily. I sighed. I probably did faint or something.

"Do you know what time it is?" I asked her. I hoped it wasn't too late.

"Oh, it's twelve, the clock just rang." She replied, twirling a piece of her hair. How was that even possible? She was a _ghost_!

"Wait it's _twelve_?" I clarified, only just realizing what she said. She nodded and adjusted her glasses. "I need to find some sort of a solution." I muttered to myself.

"I'm starting to think you're more insane than I am." Myrtle said, casually sitting on the ledge again. I raised an eyebrow.

"Myrtle, what would you do if you couldn't explain something that happened, because it was a freak thing? Like you have no idea how this thing happened or why, what would you do?" I asked her.

"Hmm…" She said, furrowing her eyebrows in thought. "I think I'd go to Dumbledore. He always has the answers." She decided. My mouth dropped. Why hadn't I thought of this?

"Wow, that's a good idea, Myrtle, thanks!" I smiled, for the first time in a long time.

"Well, I _was_ a Ravenclaw." She said, huffing out her chest in pride. Why didn't I ask her before? I knew she was a Ravenclaw, it shows on her robes!

"Thanks, again Myrtle!" I said, leaving the bathroom. I walked quickly to Dumbledore's office, this time paying absolutely no attention to anyone. Of course, that didn't work out too well when I knocked right into someone. I looked up. Of all the people in the school, of course the person I knocked into is the last person I want to see. "Snape." I said bitterly.

"Nice job, I thought _I'd _have to crush James somehow or another. But, you already did it before hand! It's a great plan, really. I didn't think you had _that_ much hate in you!" He said, his eyes were bright and had a light I'd seen missing for a while now.

"This wasn't planned. It wasn't revenge. Revenge is for narrow-minded idiots like _you_!" I sneered and bumped passed him. How dare he think I 'planned it all out'? Or that I was trying to get back at James for previous year? I arrived at Dumbledore's office in a less elated mood. "Treacle Tarts." I told the gargoyle bitterly. It just raised an eyebrow, once again, I found myself wondering how that was even possible. The stairs moved me up to his door by themselves. I knocked on the door.

"Please come in, Miss Evans." Dumbledore's voice came from inside. I blinked twice. It was weird how he knew it was me. "I thought I'd see you soon, with all the rumors flying around." He said, smiling a little sadly. I sighed and nodded. "Please sit down; I'd like to hear it from your point of view."

"Thank you, Professor." I said, and recounted the story. He nodded and understandingly. When I finished, his eyes were grim.

"Now if I understand, after you felt this weird sensation, you don't remember what happened, but you ended up in a situation you don't remember getting yourself into?" He asked. Well, if you put it that way, it sounds _really_ wrong. But, I nodded nevertheless. "And what you think brought you out of it is Mr. Potter's distressed voice?" He clarified. I nodded once more. "Then Miss Evans, I believe what I originally thought is correct." He paused. "I believe you have been placed under the Imperius Curse." He said gravely.

"The…Imperius Curse?" I stammered. If my parents ever got word of this, they'd pull me out of the school!

"Yes, I believe whoever this boy was, he casted it on you, or was a distraction so someone else can cast it on you. The Imperius Curse can be thrown off only if one knows it's being casted on them, or if they've been Imperiused before, and they know what it feels like." Dumbledore explained.

"How can you be so sure, Professor?" I asked.

"Well, you didn't remember anything that happened in between the two events. And, unless you throw the curse off yourself, the only other thing that can bring you out of it is something that really affects you emotionally, that you're attached to that emotionally, that it brings you out of it. Usually that thing is love." Dumbledore said. I almost smiled at that. Of course Dumbledore would say love was the answer. It surprised me he didn't have a wife. Sirius, on the other hand, thought he was gay…

"Thank you professor, that definitely answers a lot of my questions." I said politely, standing up.

"You're very welcome, Miss Evans." He said with a smile. I left with a final wave and let the Gargoyle bring me down again. I sighed. Now I knew what happened. I just needed to get to James, Sirius, Remus, or Peter and somehow explain everything. I went down a few flights of stairs to the first floor. Luckily, Sirius was right around a corner.

"Sirius! Sirius!" I called out. His head turned and his eyes were full of sorrow. I instantly felt guilty, knowing it was kind of my fault. But then his eyes narrowed and they turned angry, really angry. He advanced quickly towards me, and somehow swiftly backed me up against the wall, his wand pointing to my throat. I gulped. This wasn't good. My eyes met his. He was glaring at me. His eyes were dark, full of hatred anger. "Sirius, please let me exp-aarhg." He stopped my talking by shoving his wand into my throat. I bet he was thinking along the same lines as Snape. I bet he thought I was doing this for my own sadistic revenge.

"Don't even think about saying a word, _Evans_. My best friend, my brother, is _in the hospital wing_. And it's because of _you_." He sneered. My eyes widened. Why was James in the hospital wing? "Yes, we knew he was crazy for even falling in love with you in the first place! You've broken his heart more way more times than he deserved! And now, after making him think you've fallen in love with him, too, after going out with him for so long, you turn it on him? You ungrateful little…." He sneered. I wanted ask badly, why he was in the Hospital Wing, what happened. "And I'm sure, because you want to know the outcome of your _wonderful_ plan, you'll be absolutely _delighted_ to hear that he jumped off the Astronomy Tower. Sadly for you, he wasn't killed, Remus slowed down his fall. He still fell and was hurt very badly, though. I'm sure that gives you a _lot_ of pleasure." Sirius scowled. I gulped and tears formed in my eyes. James…hospital wing…jumped off the _Astronomy Tower_? All because of _this_?

"Sirius…please…" I said, tears falling from my eyes.

"That's right, _beg_. _Beg_, _feel the pain_." Sirius said, throwing his head back and laughing, similar to what Bellatrix would do. When he looked at me again, his smile was creepy and twisted and his eyes were delirious.

* * *

**A/N: I'm really glad I managed to get this in by today, I didn't think I would! **

**My mom's been in the hospital like literally this entire week, so I've been taking care of my brother and Grandmother. I took 3 midterms this weeks, and it was a lot of stress. But I'm glad I have this story to fall back on, so I can let all of that out. **

**Thanks a lot to all of you who reviewed/favorited/alerted! **

**I'm just curious: How old do you all think I am? **

**Next chapter's my twentieth :) **

**Love,**

**SAM :)  
**


	20. Pieces Come Together

Chapter 20: Pieces Come Together…

_Come on Lily, you can get out of this. Just get to the Hospital Wing. Get to the Hospital Wing_. I repeatedly told myself. Sirius smiled wide and his usually stormy, grey eyes were bright and slightly sadistic. It was terrifying. I was _very_ used to Bellatrix looking like this. Sirius? Not so much. He raised his wand. _Lily, think!_ Luckily, I was spared a diversion because one came walking our way. It was the Junior Death Eaters. It looked like all of them decided to take a walk for a change. There were Bellatrix, Lestrange, Avery, Mucliber, Crabbe, Goyle, Nott, Snape, Regulus, and the Carrow siblings. Okay, so maybe this wasn't so great, but, they would distract Sirius.

"Sirius! Attacking the mudblood?" Bellatrix asked gleefully. "You've finally decided to join us? Oh, your mum will be so proud!" She squealed.

"Only when hell freezes over, my dear cousin." Sirius said, laughing maniacally. "I'm attacking her for different reasons." Sirius explained, his eyes bring and evil. I took this opportunity to run. I moved away from him and the Junior Death Eaters, and broke into a run with only one goal in mind: Get to the hospital wing. "Get back here!" I heard Sirius bellow from behind me. _Get to the Hospital Wing_. I turned a corner. There were more people in this corridor. _Get to the Hospital Wing_. But, instead of having to push through them, they eventually made way for us, since Sirius was rapidly throwing spells in every direction. _Get to the Hospital Wing_. I finally came to the large brass doors of the hospital wing. I opened them with my wand and turned around a little as I got closer and I realized it was a mistake, but it was already too late. Sirius hit me with a spell and I felt myself fly backwards. I slid painfully across the floor. Sirius was charging towards me. I really didn't want to hurt him, so I put my wand in my back pocket.

"Sirius, really…" I said and put my hands up, showing him I wasn't going to hurt him. He fired another spell at me in response and I flew back even more. When I regained my sense of direction, Sirius was standing in front of me, panting. I was on all fours, but my leg was throbbing painfully, so I couldn't stand. He threw his head back and laughed again. I used this to carefully crawl away from him. As I did, I looked around for James. I saw him on the bed a few away from the doors I just flew through. He was staring open-mouthed, shifting his glance from me to Sirius and then back to me. I took my wand out of my pocket. "Episkey." I said, trying to see if it would work. If it was really badly bruised, it probably wouldn't. I used the nearest bed to try to stand up, and thankfully, I was able to. Walking was a little more difficult, because my leg still hurt a little, but I limped as fast as I could towards James and returned my wand to my back pocket.

"Oh no, you don't go _anywhere_ near him!" Sirius shrieked as though he were drunk. He shot a spell at me, but he missed pretty badly. _Get to James. Get to James._ I told myself. I was almost there when Sirius grabbed my arm and threw me to the ground.

"Sirius!" James yelled, finally able to find his voice. Only then did I realize: Where was Madame Promfrey? Why didn't she come out of her office when she heard all the noise? The answer came through the Hospital Wing doors.

"I was watching the show from afar, but now I decided to join in!" Bellatrix said, standing next to Sirius. She quickly silenced him, pushed him into a chair, and tied him up. She started dragging me by the arm.

"Let go!" I screamed and tried shaking her off. She only laughed. She dragged me right next to James' bed.

"I'm going to torture _you_," She said, pointing at me with her wand, "While _you_ watch. You know, so you can't do _anything_ about it? _Double_ the pain!" She explained, laughing.

"You're insane!" I glared at her. She stopped laughing and glared right back. Then, without warning, she pointed her wand at me.

"Sectumsempra!" She screeched. "Watch the pain! Watch the pain!" I felt my skin cut everywhere. It was even worse than last time. I let out a scream. Bellatrix laughed.

"Lily! Lily!" James yelled. He came down next to me. Bellatrix laughed and ran. The pain started to grow worse… "Lily!" James yelled again.

"Wand…back…pocket…D-Dumble…dore…" I croaked. The pain was starting to get worse and I felt a little light-headed.

"Lily!" James said softly. He started crying. "I c-can't remember t-the counter curse!" He said, tears spilled quickly down his cheeks.

"K-kiss…Imp…..Imp…Imper…iused." I managed to get out. His hazel eyes went wide. And my vision blurred…my eyelids closed slowly…

* * *

"How is she?" I heard someone whisper.

"Better." Another voice yawned. My eyes fluttered open.

"James?" I called out.

"Lily! Merlin, Padfoot, she's awake!" I turned my head towards him. He was sitting in a chair next to me and he was holding my hand. Sirius was standing up next to him. I realized then where I was: The hospital wing…but what was I doing here? Images came rushing towards me…visiting Dumbledore... Sirius putting his wand at my throat… running through the halls… Bellatrix…

"I guess we owe you a _well_ overdue apology…" Sirius said sheepishly. "Really, I'm sorry for hurting you like that, I felt horrible when James explained it all to me." He said, turning red. It took me a while to register what he was apologizing for.

"It's fine, since you get it now…and you got what I was saying?" I asked James. Thinking it over now, I really wasn't making much sense…

"Yeah, it took me a while…I was still in shock over everything for a while and then finally when I thought it through, and when Dumbledore talked to me, I got it. I told Sirius, and he told Marlene…" He explained, and subconsciously rubbed a spot on his arm. Sirius did the same thing. I raised an eyebrow.

"She didn't take it well." Sirius explained.

"Quoting her: 'That's what she was trying to tell you two idiots! I can't believe you realize now, when she's unconscious and could've _died_!' And then she hit us both multiple times. And attacked us with birds." James shuddered.

"Died…isn't that exaggerating a little?" I laughed.

"Actually, no. According to Marlene, you haven't eaten a meal since Saturday morning. You had absolutely no energy, no sleep, and the way Bellatrix hurt you, you could've died if we waited any longer." Sirius said in a small voice. James had this strange, far away look in his eyes.

"Well, I am alive. And what happened is over. Everything's okay." I said, in attempt to get James out of it. The look was creeping me out.

"Yeah I guess…I'm going to go get Peter, Remus, and Marlene. They've been waiting forever." Sirius said, and he left. I sat up in my bed.

"I can't believe I forgot to ask, what day is it? It clearly isn't…oh what day was that…Sunday! Right, it definitely isn't Sunday…" I asked.

"It's Tuesday…it's about one in the afternoon." James said quietly. He bit his lip.

"What? I missed yesterday's classes? And half of today's!" I screeched. He laughed a little.

"You were out cold for two days, and all you can think about is that you've missed _classes_? That's typical of you."

"Please tell me you've been taking notes or something for me!"

"Uh, no, actually, I've been here for the past two days…and Remus, Peter, Sirius, and Marlene were here, too, at least until last night, but then McGonagall forced them to leave." He said, ruffling his hair a bit. My stomach fluttered and I realized how much I missed when he did that.

"She made them leave…she didn't make you leave?" I asked.

"Well she tried, but I had Sirius put a permanent sticking charm on the chair to the ground, and on my pants to the chair. Sirius' sticking charms work really well, so even McGonagall couldn't undo them, and Dumbledore refused to try." He laughed. His eyes weren't as bright as they were before. I shuddered as the mental image of his frantic eyes, right before I passed out, came up in my mind. I sat up further in my bed and crossed my legs. I turned my entire body towards him. I would have to kill this thing haunting him _now_.

"James, _listen to me_. What happened before is _over_, okay? We can't do anything about it, we can't change it, and I know you're the type of person to blame literally everything on yourself, and you hate people you care about being hurt, especially if you could've done something to stop it. But James, you can't always be running around, playing hero. The only one that's going to hurt is _you_. Your circle of people you need to protect will get too big. Sure, maybe if you listened to me, this wouldn't have happened, but that's _exactly_ it. This is hard to hear, I get it. But, we can't sit here and mourn something we can't change! We need to learn and move past it, okay? So next time, if either of us was in a similar situation, we should first consult each other before doing anything stupid, like throwing ourselves off the Astronomy Tower!" I cried. He gulped.

"You found out?" He asked weakly. I nodded.

"Really, that was entirely _stupid_ of you! Throwing yourself off the Astronomy Tower for nothing!" I said, shaking my head.

"You're not _nothing_, Lily, you're _everything_." He said in a soft voice, his eyes watery. I smiled. I wanted to hug him, but he was stuck in that chair.

"Lily, thank Merlin you're all right!" Marlene said, running towards me. She hugged me and sat down on the edge of the bed next to me.

"I've already yelled at those four idiots. The birds were definitely the best part, right?" She asked them, as they came in.

"No, I think the yelling was the best part, it didn't cause anyone any harm." Peter shuddered. Marlene glared at him.

"Oh, and if you were wondering, I had Helena and Marissa take notes for you." Marlene added. I shook my head. They knew me too well.

"Thanks." I replied.

"Lily, we're really sorry…we should've listened to you…" Remus said. Peter nodded, turning red.

"It's okay, guys. You were just protecting him, like good friends." I smiled.

"James, you want the sticking charm off?" Sirius asked, bringing out his wand. James nodded. Sirius muttered some counter curse that I didn't know existed, and James stood up.

"That reminds me, where's _my_ wand?" I asked them. James turned bright red. I raised an eyebrow. Sirius, Peter, and Remus burst out laughing. I exchanged a confused glance with Marlene. Remus stopped laughing first.

"Knowing James, he's probably been holding it this entire time." He said, and started laughing all over again. I got up lifted James' hand that I wasn't previously holding. My wand _was_ in his hand. I rolled my eyes and took it from him. It was insanely warm in the one place he was holding it. Marlene burst out laughing.

"Mate, you're obsessed!" Sirius snickered.

"Well, _I_ think it's sweet!" I said, hugging him. He smiled, hugged back, and stuck his tongue out at Sirius, who stuck his tongue out back.

"Really mature, guys." Remus said, finally gaining control of himself.

"Oh, good honey, you're awake!" Madame Promfrey said. "Is everything all right? Does anything hurt? Head? How's the scratches on your stomach? Your arms?" Scratches where..? I rolled up the full sleeves shirt I was wearing. Along both my forearms were red lines. Marlene gasped.

"They're a lot better than they were yesterday." James said.

"How…?" I asked. He turned bright red and looked towards the ground. I probably didn't want to know.

"Well, I guess your free to go _for now_. Check back with me every three hours and if your head or arms or stomach starts to hurt, come back here." Madame Promfrey told me sternly. I nodded.

"Okay then, so Lily, why don't we go to the kitchens for some food? You haven't eaten in ages!" James said. I nodded. Madame Promfrey shook her head.

"I see you've finally gotten yourself unstuck?" She smirked and left.

"I didn't think she had a sense of humor…" Sirius muttered. I rolled my eyes.

"Let's go." I said to James. He put a hand around my shoulders and led me towards the doors of the hospital wing. I stopped abruptly in front of it.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Do they all still think…" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. He shook his head.

"When Sirius and I found out about all of that from Marlene, we made sure we killed the rumors. On the other hand, everyone knows what happened." He explained as he pushed open the doors. I took a breath and nodded. Everyone knew already. It was fine. It doesn't matter what they think anyway. We walked through the halls without any disturbance, as usual. Occasionally, I'd get a few apologetic smiles, but other than that, it was like nothing happened, which was good. Along the way, we passed Snape. His eyes widened and his mouth formed an "O" when he saw us. James glared at him. I rolled my eyes.

"Don't be immature." I muttered. He crinkled his nose but decided not to say anything. Smart choice. We walked the rest of the way in silence, simply enjoying each other's presence. We got there and he tickled the pear…which laughed this time…

"You've been here before, right?" He asked.

"Well, yeah, that one time in the beginning of the year when you asked me to talk to Sirius. I've never _eaten_ here though." I said.

"That…is a sin." He finished. He led me to a table and we sat down. Almost right when we did, Misty appeared next to us.

"What can Misty get for Master?" She asked in her high-pitched voice, bowing low.

"Misty, please, it's James." James said, smiling. "And, we'll get a little of everything that was at lunch today." He said. I raised an eyebrow. "You haven't eaten since Saturday morning. You're in no place to object." He said, breaking out into a smile. His eyes were bright, like they usually were, and my stomach felt all giddy again. I smiled and blushed.

"Where did Bellatrix go? If Dumbledore found out what she did, surely she'd be expelled…" I asked.

"We won't have to deal with her for a long time. She fled. She left Hogwarts. I'm pretty sure she would've been happy to join You-Know-Who, but she still has the trace on her, and it'll make whatever courageous people left in the Ministry come after her. Padfoot thinks she's staying at home with her parents." He explained.

"That's great!" I said happily. No more Bellatrix for the next one and a half years. James eyes' suddenly turned dark.

"Who do you think Imperiused you?" James asked, looking at his hands. Misty brought out the food, but he didn't seem to pay attention to it.

"Really, I think it was a random person that the Junior Death Eaters imperiused, and then they imperiused me." I said truthfully. Even though I hadn't really thought about it until now, I think it made the most sense.

"Oh. Well, I think it may have been Snape." He said. I looked at him incredulously, but let him continue, to see what convoluted way he would make Snape the mastermind behind all of this. Honestly, _Snape_? "Don't look at me like that! I have it all thought out. Okay, so I think it was all a plan to split us apart. That's why he made you kiss him. No, don't interrupt; I have an explanation for that too. Okay, so he changed his appearance somehow…Polyjuice Potion! That's it! He changed himself with Polyjuice Potion, then either Imperiused you himself, or had someone else do it! And then, his plan didn't work, that's why he was so surprised to see us together!" James exclaimed. I rolled my eyes.

"Why would he do that? What reason does he have?" I asked, just playing along.

"I don't know, there's something about him, there's something in his _eyes_…" James muttered. I shook my head and started eating the bread in front of me.

"James, really, just drop it." I said, putting my hand over his. He looked intently at me. I raised an eyebrow.

"Fine…but it was definitely him." He said. I narrowed my eyes. "Okay, okay, no more talking about it!"

"Good." I smiled. "Now eat, because I'm not eating this myself."

* * *

**A/N: Chapter 20...55 Reviews...4 months...I'm pretty satisfied :D**

**Anyway, thanks to: **ana-12, TotallyGaga, i3fiction-novels, and siriuslyhopelesslycrazzzy (who's read more than one of my stories :D) for reviewing pretty much every chapter :)

**By this time next week: I would've seen the Deathly Hallows at least once once!(And I'm jealous if you have, who's seen it?)  
**

**Speaking of next week, I'm mostly likely not going to update again until the Sunday after next Friday :( I get together with friends and go on vacation during Thanksgiving weekend :)**

**Alright, so PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Thanks!**

**Love,**

**SAM :)  
**


	21. Bittersweet

Chapter 21: Bittersweet

I perked up from my book when I heard the tapping noise. I looked around for the source. It was a large, brown owl at the window, holding a beige envelope. The owl impatiently pecked more. As I got up, I looked around, hoping that the owl didn't wake anyone. I opened the window, wincing when it creaked. Almost as soon as I took the letter from the owl, it flew away, not even bothering to wait for a response. I shut the window; the breeze was way too cold for me to handle in my pajamas. I observed the scene outside. The sun was slowly coming up from beyond the Quidditch Pitch. Without thinking, I looked for the tall, muscular figure that I knew would be circling it right about now. I smiled to myself when I spotted him, but left once I did, just in case he was to glance up in my direction. I turned over the letter in my hand as I sat down on my bed. _TO: LILY EVANS_ I'd be able to recognize this handwriting anywhere. I quickly put away my book and tore open the envelope. The handwriting on the parchment confirmed my thoughts. It was Alice Prewett. She was two years older than me, and we met because when I was a prefect in 5th year, she was Head Girl. We became fast friends over the course of my fifth year. We promised each other to write all the time. I felt a little guilty, realizing I had not responded to a letter she sent months ago. I started to read, eager for what she had to say.

_Dear Lily,_

_We haven't spoken for so long!_ (I felt even guiltier at this, it was _my_ fault for not responding.) _I feel a bit guilty myself, so it's not ALL you, don't worry. I must confess, I wouldn't be writing to you if it weren't to give you some wonderful news! Frank, you remember him, I dated him almost all of my 7__th__ year? He proposed to me yesterday! I was so excited and happy; I've been waiting for this for so long! We're going to get married over summer! We got permission from Moody to get off from Auror training, so it worked out! I'm already so excited! Augusta-Mrs. Longbottom- and I have been discussing all sorts of things about it. It's driving poor Frank up the wall, but he's happy, happier than I've ever seen him. It's all so great, and so much fun! I want you to be my Maid of Honor, Lily. I couldn't think of anyone better than you. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, tell me what's going on in your life! I know you're going out with James Potter, which happened the last few days I was there. And Fabian and Gideon told me you guys were still dating. They said that at the New Year's Party he threw, you didn't leave his side, nor did he let you, and I wouldn't expect any less from him! And I can't believe I almost forgot, I nearly knocked over my ink bottle when I remembered; HAPPY BIRTHDAY LILY! YOU'RE SEVENTEEN NOW! You get to do all kinds of things, like magic out of school and apparating! EMBRACE IT! As for my gift, I know you'll get it VERY soon. Anyway, happy birthday again!_

_Love,_

_Alice (almost-Longbottom!)_

How she remembered it was my birthday, I don't know. But the whole 'you'll get it soon' bit was weird. Suddenly, the door burst open. Dancing flower petals came through the door, singing 'Happy Birthday'. I put the letter and the envelope on the nightstand. I got up and walked towards the petals. James, followed by Peter, Remus, and Sirius came through the door.

"Happy Birthday, Lily." James said, hugging me tightly.

"Thanks." I replied, looking up at him. He bent down and kissed me softly.

"WOAH! We're still here, you know!" Sirius protested, throwing a pillow at us. We pulled apart and laughed.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY LILY!" Three voices screamed from the doorway. I spun around. It was Marlene, Helena, and Marissa.

"Wait, but how'd you...?" I questioned, spinning around. Their sleeping figures were still in the bed. Marlene laughed.

"We copied ourselves so it LOOKED like we were there." She explained. I smiled.

"Thanks guys!" I said, and gave them each a hug.

"And you four, how'd you get up here?" I inquired, looking at them skeptically.

"Wait, they're not supposed to be up here?" Marlene asked, completely confused. I rolled my eyes.

"Have none of you opened _Hogwarts: A History_? It clearly says that boys are not allowed up the girls' staircase, because they were said to be less trustworthy than girls. We can go up their staircase though." I clarified.

"Ohh…So then how'd you get up here?" Marlene asked. They smiled to each other.

"That's for us to know, Lily-flower…" Sirius started.

"And for you to find out!" James finished, tapping my nose with his index finger. I raised an eyebrow and studied the four of them. There was only one logical explanation.

"You flew, didn't you?" Their faces fell.

"How'd you know?" James asked incredulously.

"It wasn't hard. You, being _you_, would think that the answer to everything is flying…and this time, you could actually take that literally. And it's only the staircase that's charmed…not the actual doorway, as long as you got in without touching the doorway, nothing would happen." I replied.

"True, if it were that easy to get past it, then the charm would be pointless." Marlene pointed out.

"They must've put another charm on it to make sure only people with pure intentions could get in?" I guessed.

"It doesn't matter; we need to get down to go to breakfast!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah, hold on, we need to take showers." I reminded him, gesturing Marlene, Marissa, Helena, and myself. Sirius pouted.

"Fine…but hurry up!" He huffed. He, Remus and Peter left the room. James hugged me again and left with a final wave.

"Lily, why don't you go take a shower while Helena, Marissa, and I pick out something nice for you to wear?" Marlene said as more of a demand rather than a suggestion. I groaned. "Go!" She laughed, pointing to the door. Oh Merlin…what were they going to do? I sighed. I grabbed a towel and headed inside the bathroom. I quickly took a shower, and brushed my hair and teeth.

"Okay, so what have you got for me?" I asked warily as I stepped out.

"Aw, don't be like that, we made sure that it was something that you'd wear, we just tweaked it a little…" Marlene said. I sighed once more and walked over to them. They held up a pair of jeans, now ripped slightly, and a short sleeved, green blouse with white buttons. It wasn't too bad, but the blouse…eh. Whatever.

"It's not too bad, thanks!" I smiled, hugging each of them. I changed as Marlene went to go take a shower. While she did, Helena and Marissa gave me their gifts. From Helena, I got another book about muggle sciences and from Marissa, I got a wool scarf. Soon, another owl pecked at my window. I opened the window and took the green envelope from the owl. It left with a high pitched hoot. Turning it over, I realized the handwriting was my mother's. How did she get her hands on an owl? I looked back to the direction the owl flew, but it was no where in sight. I opened the envelope.

_Dear Lily,_

_Happy birthday, honey! I wish I could be with you there, when you turn seventeen. It's a big year for you! (At least in the Wizarding World) Your dad and sister say Happy Birthday, too, by the way. Now, there's no easy way to say this, but Petunia's engaged to Vernon. It was a huge shock to us, too. I let her take care of who to invite, and I'm sorry I did, because only a few days ago, when I was looking at the list of people, I noticed she wasn't planning on inviting you, which would also explain the date that she wanted it to be, in late May. However, when I did realize, I had her change the date to during your Easter break and made her invite you. And you're going to be her Maid of Honor. Don't even think about trying to protest, your dad completely agrees and even Petunia was willing to agree, as long as you didn't have a negative attitude about it. But please, Lily, don't let this ruin your birthday, have fun today, okay?_

_Love, _

_Mum_

Well, today was full of surprises, wasn't it? I learned about two upcoming marriages and it wasn't even nine o'clock!

"Lily…Earth to Lily! ." Marlene called out to me.

"Woah, what?" I asked, pulling out of my reverie. She rolled her eyes.

"You totally zoned out for like the last fifteen minutes. We've all taken showers. Oh, and here's my gift to you." She said, handing me a colorful book. It was a scrap book! I looked through all the pictures. There were a lot of them, me by myself, me with James, Remus and Sirius arguing, Sirius and Peter arguing, a few with me with Marlene, and there were a lot of all six of us, just sitting. The best part was that all the pictures were moving!

"Wow, this is great Marlene! Thanks so much!" I hugged her tightly. "How'd you take the pictures that had you in it? Or these weird ones of me in class?"

"I didn't take most of those; I had other people take them a lot of the time." She smiled, looking down at them herself. "Now, we must get down to breakfast before Sirius' stomach explodes because he hasn't eaten anything. I laughed and the four of us descended the stairs. Only James was at the foot of them, patiently waiting. "I'll guess I'll go to breakfast then?" Marlene said, leaving us alone.

"Hey." He said, giving me a peck on the lips. I smiled. "You look beautiful today…You always do, but I just thought I'd say that today…" He whispered to me. I blushed.

"Thanks." He ran a hand through his hair and smiled.

"Did you look around at the common room?" He asked. I raised an eyebrow and turned towards the rest of the Common Room. There were lilies everywhere.

"I can't believe you did this…!" I gasped. His face automatically turned serious.

"You're not _mad_, are you?" He asked hesitantly. I rolled my eyes.

"Of course not, you idiot! Thank you, though." I hugged him tightly. He smiled, and then lifted me off my feet. "What are you _doing_?" I asked as he carried me across the common room.

"Carrying you." He replied. "You know, you're really light. Do I need to _make_ you eat more?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"James, please tell me, who else you've carried." I asked, rolling my eyes.

"Well, there's Padfoot, Moony, but only in his sleep, and Wormtail, then there's you." He listed as effortlessly climbed out the door.

"Exactly. You've only carried _guys_. And pretty big ones in comparison to me. Which is why I'm light in comparison. And it does help that you do work out…" I said, my eyes trailing to his arms. I reluctantly pulled my gaze away from his arms and back to his face. He was smiling smugly at me. I blushed. He caught me staring. "But that doesn't answer my original question, why are you carrying me?" I asked again and did my best to ignore my reddening neck. I looked around and realized we were on the first floor! Wow, he was _fast_.

"I don't know. Makes life interesting, I guess?" He shrugged. I rolled my eyes. He would say that. "You know, if you keep rolling your eyes, they're going to fall out sometime." He joked. I hit him on the chest.

"You're insane." I replied.

"You never know…" He snickered. He stopped abruptly in the corridor. I raised an eyebrow. "It's empty. Why don't we just sit here and talk?" He asked.

"Yeah sure, I mean unless you're hungry…" I replied. He shrugged.

"Not really…" I pretended to look shocked.

"James Potter…not hungry? We need to alert the _Daily Prophet_!"

"Shut up…" He muttered, but smiling a little. He walked to the wall and simply sat down, with me still in his arms, so I was sitting on his lap. He moved them to around my waist and I put my head on his shoulder. I was wondering what he wanted to talk about when he opened his mouth, and then closed it again.

"What is it?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What would you say if I told you Padfoot and I were planning to buy motorcycles?" He asked slowly. Oh Merlin. They were going to get in a _lot_ of trouble with the muggle police. But, it might actually be interesting…and transportation might be easier. The Knight Bus wasn't exactly my favorite. I shrugged.

"I guess it's okay, I mean unless you plan on doing any thing _illegal_ with it." I said, raising an eyebrow. He gave me a guilty look. I groaned. "Muggle illegal or Magic illegal?" I asked tiredly.

"We want to make it _fly_…" He said in a small voice. I groaned again.

"Listen, I trust your guys' magical ability, I really do…but-"

"But what, Lily? We've got nothing to lose! Sirius has no family, my parents got dragon pox-Oh merlin." He said, and turned pink. I gasped.

"What? When? Why didn't you tell me? And why are you _here_? Didn't you go visit them? Are-"

"Lily, slow down. Okay, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I only found out today. I didn't want you to know until maybe tomorrow, at least so you'll still have a good birthday. And I don't want to be all broody today. And they said that they're fine-and wait. This doesn't matter right now. Can we _please_ talk about this tomorrow?" He begged. I eyed him skeptically, but on the inside I was a bit torn. It would be nice to pretend this didn't happen until tomorrow, on the other hand, this wasn't something we could ignore!

"James…really, I can tell you need to talk about this." I paused and looked at him more. "And I don't think you've told Sirius, Remus or Peter yet, either." I said, narrowing my eyes at him. It wasn't good to coop these things up like this! It usually lead to rebellious behavior, which might be a little of the reason flying motorcycle thing. And, now that I thought about it, that's exactly what happened to Snape, too. He kept everything about his family to himself and now…

"I haven't, I know, but Lily, _please_, I just want to celebrate for a day, I have a feeling we'll have little to celebrate for a while." He begged more. His eyes were pleading and I sighed. But, this conversation was _not_ over. "Great, so did you get any ah…letters?" He asked, sensing that I was going to drop the subject as he asked.

"Yeah, I did…Alice did mention…the lilies were her idea, weren't they?" I asked, smiling. He nodded.

"She sent me an owl and gave me the idea. Along with that, she wrote a _very_ threatening letter about my slow, painful death if I hurt you at all." He reached into the chest pocket on his shirt. He pulled out a packet of letters. "All of these, they describe how badly I will get hurt if I do anything to hurt you. Very good, protective friends you have, they're worse than your dad! Marlene also pulled me aside after what happened…you know, two weeks ago…she said that she'd murder me if I did anything that stupid again." He said, subconsciously rubbing his arm. I laughed.

"Yeah, they're amazing." I said with a hint of pride in my voice. "Alice did write me and say that she and Frank are now engaged, they're getting married over the summer. She wants to be Maid of Honor." I smiled. Then I remembered the _other_ marriage. My face fell a little. "And then there's Petunia's wedding." James' nose flared in anger. "She wasn't planning on inviting me. I don't know how she thought she'd get away with that, but when Mum did catch her, she made Petunia make me Maid of Honor." I said in a small voice. "And now I'm obliged to go. It's during Easter break. And I'm not going alone, you're coming with me, whether you want to or not." I told him.

"Aw Lily, come on!" James groaned.

"James, you've got to come!"

"But…they don't even _want_ me there!"

"James…!"

"You know it's true! He _hates _me! You think they want me there?"

"James, I'm pretty sure my mom will _very willingly_ talk them into it."

"But-"

"You know, if you don't come, I'm going to be forced to walk down the aisle with a male relative of Vernon's. I _am_ the Maid of Honor…" His eyes widened. He was definitely imagining that. "And then dancing…I'll have to be the second person dancing…I'm going to have to dance with that same _male_ relative, you know…" I reminded him, stressing the male. That was definitely the final push. His mouth formed an "O".

"On the other hand, I think I'll come." He said quickly. I laughed.

"Thought you'd agree." I laughed.

"Oh Merlin, my eyes!" A voice sneered. I cringed. Avery. I blushed; James and I _were_ in a pretty compromising position. We scrambled up, both blushing furiously.

"What do you want?" James asked angrily. It was only Avery, Mucliber, Snape, and Nott. Avery and Mucliber had scarily identical malicious grins. Snape just looked purely disgusted. Nott was behind them all, trying to look intimidating, but was failing.

"Can't say hello to our favorite mudblood?" Mucliber asked innocently. I swear, this wasn't even to insult me anymore, it was just to get James wound up. But, instead of trying to kill Mucliber, he just glared at him. Well, this is new. Mucliber glared right back. It was like a glaring contest. And the four of us were kind of just standing there awkwardly.

"You know, I'd love to stay and chat, I _really_ would, but Lily, we should go eat." James said abruptly, taking my hand. I nodded, and without a second glance back at them, we walked away.

"We're going to have to tell him, aren't we?" He asked. I looked at him in confusion.

"What?"

"Oh, sorry. I mean we're going to have to tell Vermin…I mean _Vernon_ about our world, aren't we?" He clarified. I grimaced.

"We probably will have to. He's going to be part of the family, and he'll have to know, but we have to limit it to him, we can't tell his relatives. And I have an unusually _strong_ feeling that he's going to be the same as Petunia with this." I said solemnly. He encouragingly rubbed the small of my back.

"They can think whatever they want to think. I mean I know they're family, but you can't change what you are. And if they can't accept that, it's not _your_ fault; it's theirs. And I get that's like against your nature to believe that something is someone else's and not your own, but you need to understand that, Lily, or the only person you'll be hurting is yourself." He told me wisely. I raised an eyebrow. What was with all the weird speeches today? It could be because of the Dragon Pox thing…Merlin, this was killing him inside, wasn't it? We'd have to talk about that _today_, whether he liked it or not. It's a good thing it's Saturday, I'd have plenty of time to corner him. "Lily, did you hear what I said?" He asked, suddenly stopping and looking at me with concern.

"Oh, whoa, sorry. I was thinking about something else…what did you ask?" I asked him. He raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"Never mind. Come on, I'm starving." He said. He unexpectedly started walking again, and at a quick pace.

"Why so fast?" I complained, struggling to keep up with him. He smiled at me, but didn't answer. Something wasn't right…

My suspicions were confirmed when we entered the Great Hall. There were balloons everywhere, and instead of the normal ceiling, it said "Happy Birthday, Lily!" With a stag, rat, dog, and moon signed next to it. It was a lot to take in. Everyone was wearing party hats, to the dismay of most, and the Gryffindors were laughing at the Slytherins who were trying, and failing, to take them off.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LILY!" Sirius bellowed from the Gryffindor table. I laughed. Only Sirius would be able to yell like that. We walked to the Gryffindor Table and sat down across from Sirius, Remus, and Peter. I was in the middle of Marlene and James.

"Happy Birthday, Lily." Remus said with a large smile. "I couldn't say it before because once James said it, you seemed a bit…_busy_…" He laughed.

"Yeah…Happy…Birthday…Lily…" Peter said in between mouthfuls of food. I rolled my eyes.

"Thanks guys." Sirius stood up dramatically. He cleared his throat a few times and then opened his mouth wide. Oh no, he wasn't going to…I took the nearest bread, stood up, and put it in his mouth. I dragged him back down. "Don't even _think_ about trying to sing." I told him sternly. No need for all that embarrassment. "And you guys _better not_ be throwing _any kind_ of celebration, small get together, a _large_ get together, or _anything_, okay? You know how I am with parties." I told them all, mostly directing it towards James. They shook their heads.

"I have other plans." James whispered in my ear. Before I could respond, a seventh year Gryffindor that I didn't recognize came up to James.

"So you guys having a party or what?" He asked excitedly.

"Miss goody-two shoes here banned us." Sirius pouted. The seventh year looked at me in surprise, and then looked back at James.

"Really, I'd think that you guys would throw a party today, after all, it _is_ the Lead Marauder's girlfriend's birthday!" He said, making his eyes go wide. This kid, whoever he was, was really creeping me out. Before any of us could respond, he left.

"Do you know who that was?" Marlene asked. They shrugged.

"That doesn't matter! The point is, he called _Prongs_ the 'Lead Marauder'! Everyone knows _I'm_ the lead Marauder." Sirius huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. Oh no. Remus and I exchanged worried glances. This was going to be a _long_ breakfast.

"Now Padfoot, I know you _aspire_ to be like me, but everyone knows _I'm_ the Lead Marauder! Why else would that kid call me that?" James countered.

"That kid's out of his mind. Everyone knows _I'm_ the life of the party!"

"Yeah, but that's not exactly what being the Lead anything is!"

"How do you know? It's obviously me!"

"No, it's _me_!"

"NO. IT'S NOT. IT'S ME!" Sirius bellowed, causing people to turn their heads.

"Padfoot, don't be ridiculous. It's _me_!"

"What do _you_ guys think?" Sirius asked. "You think _I'm_ the Lead Marauder right?" We exchanged glances and made a silent agreement to stay neutral.

"HA! See Padfoot, no one thinks _you're _the Lead Marauder! What about me, guys, it's obviously me!" James said, looking expectantly at us. We stared blankly at him. "Aww, Lily, come on, you're my girlfriend, you're supposed to support me!" He whined. I raised an eyebrow.

"I don't think I'd be very supportive if you had a desire to throw yourself off the Astronomy Tower."

"That's true…but this is different!"

"Well, it's the same in the sense that I'm not supposed to support you for really stupid things." I pointed out.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Sirius asked, leaning forward, his shaggy hair dropping into the tea. I rolled my eyes.

"Sirius, your hair's in the tea." I said tiredly. His eyes widened and he picked his hair up and started examining it.

"OH NO! MY HAIR!" He screamed, causing everyone around us to turn their heads towards us, again. He ran out of the Great Hall, probably to go wash his hair. Remus shook his head.

"He can be _such_ a girl when it comes to his hair."

"HEY! What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Marlene asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yes, Remus, what _is_ that supposed to mean?" I agreed, raising an eyebrow at him. He looked between the two of us.

"Ah…nothing. I'm going to go finish that Herbology essay." He said and left almost as fast as Sirius. James snickered.

"Wimps." He muttered. I raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sure you'd have the same reaction if your Quidditch magazines went missing…or if you were in Remus' position." I pointed out. He considered for a moment. "Exactly."

"Fine. But come on, we need to talk about today's itinerary!" He said, standing up, then pulling me to my feet.

"Alright, see you later, Marlene!" I said, waving to her as James dragged me towards the door. She waved back and winked at me. James put an arm around my waist.

"So now we're going to…"

* * *

"Okay, Lily, close your eyes." James said. I bit my lip, but obeyed. So far today, James took me on a long walk, since it was surprisingly warm, and then ate lunch. After that, I spent sometime with Marlene, while James said he was preparing for something, and also in that time, I managed to finish my Charms and Transfiguration essays that I started and never finished. Then the six of us just sat in front of the fire in the Gryffindor Common Room and talked. James said he had a final surprise for me, which was where he was taking me right now. We went up several sets of stairs, and walked and turned for a long time.

"Are we there yet?" I asked. He laughed.

"Hold on…" He paused. "Now, open your eyes." He whispered in my ear. He put an arm around my shoulder. I blinked a few times. I gasped at the sight in front of me. It was like we were outside, under the stars, and grass under us. But, I knew we weren't really outside, it was way too warm. There was a table for two and music playing from somewhere.

"James, where are we?" I gasped. He grinned.

"Lily, welcome to the Room of Requirement."

"The…you guys found it!" I gasped. I read about this room dozens of times in _Hogwarts: A History_! "I don't mean to sound so surprised, if anyone could find it, I know it'd be you guys, but…_wow_! It's even better than I imagined it would be! Wait, if you guys found it, why's it not on the Map?" I asked, tilting my head to the side. He laughed.

"I'll answer your million questions once we start eating." He led me to the table. As soon as we sat down, food appeared in our plates.

"Wait, how'd that-"

"Start eating. I said, I'd answer your questions once we start eating!" He reminded me. I crinkled my nose.

"But-"

"Lily…" He warned, smirking. He muttered something like "You're too curious for your own good." I rolled my eyes. I looked down at my food. Food can't just _appear_. I picked up my fork, and poked the chicken on my plate with it. Nothing happened. I picked up the knife and cut the chicken slowly. Nothing happened. I poked the chicken again. Once again, nothing happened. I became aware that James was staring fixedly at me. When I met his eyes, he raised an eyebrow. "It's real, Lily, just eat it." He continued eating his food, and was actually almost done with it. I shrugged my shoulders, decided it was safe, and started eating.

About ten minutes later, James put down his knife and fork.

"And now for your answers." He said. I, too, put down my knife and fork.

"Okay. How'd the food appear out of no where?" I started off.

"It didn't, Misty was here and summoned it from the kitchens."

"When and how did you guys find this place?"

"We found it in our fifth year…it was a good year for us, wasn't it? Anyway, We found it because we were trying to get away from Filch, and we didn't have the map yet and I didn't have my invisibility cloak."

"Why didn't you put this on the map then?" I asked him.

"Lily, we're good at magic, but not _that_ good. It would have been incredibly hard to figure out the location of someone in the room when it keeps changing. This room has limitless possibilities. We can't incorporate all that into the map." He explained. "Are you done?"

"Wait, so where is this room?"

"Of course not." He muttered. I stuck my tongue out at him. "Seventh floor, I'll show you sometime later."

"Okay, now, why are we here? Surely not to _just_ eat dinner." I asked. He sighed in relief.

"Finally. Okay, come on." He walked me to the left of the table. He paused for a second, and then a couch appeared.

"Whoa! How'd that happen?" I gasped. He laughed.

"It's really nice knowing things that you don't sometimes." I slapped him on the arm and sat down, cross-legged on the couch. He sat down, in the same position, across from me. "That's the thing about this room. When you're in it, you can just think of anything you want, at least anything that doesn't violate Gamp's Laws, and you'll get it!" He said animatedly.

"How many times have you been here?"

"We used to come here all the time last year…this year, not so much." He shrugged.

"Why not?" I asked. This place was great!

"I've been planning this day for a _long_ time, Lily. I didn't want you to find out about it until today." He paused. "Okay. Questions later. Time to open your presents." He smiled. I raised an eyebrow.

"Presents?" I inquired. He nodded.

"Of course." A pile of gifts appeared on the ground next to us.

"Misty?" I guessed. He smiled.

"Yep." He picked up the first one. It was in a box, like all of them, I noticed. "This one's from Remus." I undid the ribbon and opened the box. It was a small wireless. I smiled. I always wanted one of those. It was the only music you could listen to in the castle without the magic interfering.

I went through all my gifts. From Peter, I got a Honeydukes gift card, from Sirius, a cookbook with complete instructions on how to make a Treacle Tart. In the card he wrote, "It's Prongs' favorite food. When we're not in Hogwarts any more, and you guys are" With a huge black blob after it. It made James turn really pink and he muttered something about killing Sirius. Also, I figured out how my mum got the owl, though. James sent a letter to my parents and then they sent a letter back with him, and along with that, my gift. Then. they had the owl give me my letter. They go through _way_ more trouble than they should… But they got me a nice, black sleeveless dress and the bottom half had sequins. Now all I had left was James'.

"I wasn't sure what to get you," He admitted, "But in the end, I decided on this." He brought out a box that was about the same size of Remus' box. He opened it, and inside was a photo frame. I picked it up. The photo was the both of us, in the snow. He was picking me up and twirling me around. We were laughing like we had no other care in the world. It was really sweet.

"Thanks." I said, hugging him tightly. "It's a nice picture. And it's really weird how you guys take pictures of me without me noticing." I added. He gave me a confused look. "Marlene gave me a scrapbook with pictures of me." I explained. "Although, none of the pictures are as good as this one." I said, looking at it again.

"Yeah, Peter took it. He's a pretty decent photographer, who knew?" He laughed. Then I remembered his parents. My face fell a little. I moved closer.

"James…I know you need to talk about it." I told him. Comprehension dawned on his face.

"Lily, I-"

"James I don't want to hear it, I know-" He cut me off by kissing me. He put one hand on my cheek and the other on my waist. I fell forward on to him so we were lying horizontally on the couch, it was much more comfortable. Suddenly, I felt water on my cheek. But, it wasn't _me_ crying…so it was _James_! I quickly pulled away and opened my eyes. "James?" I whispered. He was, as I thought, crying. I sat up and pulled him up with me. He closed his eyes and looked away. It was so _sad_, seeing him like this. It was different that his usual attitude and it really _hurt_. I took off his glasses and put them on a table that appeared next to us. "James-" I tried again.

"Not today, Lily, not today, _please_." He turned his gaze back to me and begged. His gaze was even more intense, without his glasses. His eyes were watery and he looked like he was trying hard not to cry, but was failing. I nodded numbly. I knew what he wanted. To cry now, and talk later. I pulled him closer and rested his head on the crook of my neck and just let him cry, and trying not to cry myself.

* * *

**A/N: Yes, I know I didn't update last week at all like I said I would, bad me. I know. On the other hand, I made this chapter super extra long to make up for it! :)**

**Please review!**

**Until next Friday,**

**Love,**

**SAM :)  
**


	22. I Do It Differently

Chapter 22: I Do It Differently

"Happy Valentine's Day, Lily!" James sang, plopping down next to me. He gave me a small peck on the cheek and began piling his plate up with food. I let out an exasperated sigh and put down the bread I was eating.

"James, today is the one day you _never_ seem to get me!" I told him, facing him. He raised an eyebrow. "For the last what's it now, _five_ years, you thought it was _you_ and your _bloody annoying_ gifts that got me all worked up on this day. But it was _never_ you James, it was _me_. Valentine's day can shove itself down a toilet." I said, rather sourly. It was true; I cannot stand Valentine's Day. It has to be the most pointless holiday ever. And it's not even a holiday! To celebrate love? My _arse_. What's wrong with the other days to celebrate love? And then there's the _pink_ flying around, all the 'romantic roses'. Girls expecting cards from boys and when they don't get them, they're all broken up about it. It's all _so_ wrong. And then it's supposed to be romantic to ask a girl out on Valentine's Day? Hogwash. If you really like the girl, even the Giant Squid's presence can make it romantic!

"Err…okay…Just stay away from Padfoot, all right?" He told me hesitantly. I was about to ask why, but the answer sat down in front of me.

"Happy Valentine's Day, guys!" Sirius said cheerily. He was wearing ALL pink. Even his _oh so precious_ hair was pink. And he was wearing little red hearts _everywhere_. And he looked hideous. Just looking at him was making my blood boil.

"Lily, are you okay? Your eye's twitching." James said worriedly, placing a hand on the small of my back.

"." I grumbled back, still eyeing Sirius in disgust.

"Then why, Lily-flower, is your spoon bending, and you're not even touching it." Sirius asked. He tilted his head, completely clueless that I wanted nothing more than to rip his head off. In the corner of my eye, I could see James shaking his head at Sirius and waving his hands around. "Oh, I get it! She doesn't like Valentine's Day!" Sirius yelled, slapping his forehead. _Breath, Lily, Breath_. "Is it because it clashes with your hair?" He asked, tilting his head once more. _He did _not_ just ask that_. James slapped a hand to his forehead.

"SIRIUS ORION BLACK!" I screamed at him. His eyes widened in fear. "I'm going to _kill_ you! 'Is it because it clashes with your hair?'" I mimicked. "You have some nerve, boy! To do this today, of all days! And look at you! Shamelessly dressed in all pink! Where's your pride? Are you just losing it because it's _just a stupid holiday_? Little red hearts everywhere. You should be _ashamed_!" I screamed at him. James started tugging on my arm, to try to sit back down. He was nervously looking around.

"Lily, everyone's staring at you…" He muttered.

"Oh…is it her time of month?" Sirius whispered to James in a not-so-whisper. I lunged at him.

"SIRIUS!" James pulled me back, but I was fighting. I needed to hit _some_ part of him. "SIRIUS!" I screamed again. "You." I took a swing at him. "Are." I took another swing at him. "A-" I was cut off by James who quickly pressed his lips to mine. And it worked, I slowly felt myself calm down. I sighed and pulled away. I glared at Sirius as I got up and adjusted my bag on my shoulder.

"Lily…" James muttered in warning.

"For your information, my 'time of month' isn't for another two weeks." I sneered at Sirius. He turned pink, to match his _ridiculous_ outfit. I smirked and walked away.

"Merlin, I forgot what it was like when you were angry…" James said, coming up behind me and running a hand through his hair. I smiled sweetly at him.

"You calmed me down a little. But I'm still pretty angry. Don't say anything you'll regret." He nodded numbly and opted not to say anything. Instead, he just put an arm around my shoulders and we walked silently towards Potions class. We were at the door when he talked again. "Hold on." He said, stopping both of us.

"Yes?" I asked, not as irritated anymore. He pressed his lips to mine as he did only a little while ago. But only once my back was against the wall and his hands were playing with the hem of my shirt did he reluctantly break away.

"Thought you might want to be calmer…you're not going to like this lesson." He told me as he held the door open. I groaned. There were some days I really hated Slughorn.

"Come in, come in!" Slughorn said, his face lighting up when he saw me. Besides Sirius, everyone was already in the room. "Unfortunately because of an incident with my Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw classes, we will not be brewing the Love Potion; instead, we will be learning an extended _history_ of it!" Slughorn said, clapping his hand together. The class was silent. Clearly, Slughorn expected more of a reaction because he said, "Oh. Uh, well I guess we'll get started then?"

"_If I fell in love with you_,

_Would you promise to be true?  
And help me understand.  
'cause I've been in love before,  
And I found that love was more  
Than just holding hands._" Doves sang as they entered the classroom. I knew who it was before he came in. I quickly glanced at Slughorn. He raised an eyebrow in confusion. Sirius came strolling in, a red beam surrounding him and he was wearing a new, long red cape. I heard a little groan from Remus.

"He did not." I muttered.

"Lily…" James said in a warning voice. Then, house elves followed him in, holding the cape behind him. "Lily…" James repeated, now terrified. He quickly grabbed my hands.

"SIRIUS!" I screamed, standing up. I quick glance around the classroom showed me everyone else was mortified. "The second time today! ARE YOU OUT TO GET ME?" I screamed at him. He paled. "I cannot believe you! Using _house elves_! Are you mad?" I asked. He opened him mouth. "Don't even _think_ about answering that!" I told him menacingly. He shut his mouth. "It's a _stupid_ holiday. GET OVER YOURSELF!" I told him. He mumbled something incomprehensible. "What was that?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. He met my eyes with a hint of amusement I did not like.

"I bet it _is _because all the pink clashes with your hair." I made a move towards the door, but James pulled me back down by the waist. He pulled out his wand and quickly muttered some spell before I could get my wand out. I tried moving, but my legs seemed to be stuck together.

"JAMES!" I screeched. He shrugged.

"Sorry. I had to, you would've killed him!" He told me apologetically. I was about to say something back but Slughorn cleared his throat. I nervously looked at him. The entire class was staring at us either in awe or amusement. Slughorn looked confused. I didn't blame him; I wouldn't know what to do in this situation either. I sent a murderous glare in James' direction.

"Mr. Black, please sit down!" Slughorn said with an annoyed sigh and started writing the ingredients of the love potion on the board. It was useless, I already knew all this!

"I knew it was her time of month!" Sirius muttered as he went past me. I opened my mouth to speak but found no sound came out. I looked at James angrily. He gave me a guilty smile.

**You're VERY lucky I love you.** I passed a note to him.

_I know_. He replied. He gave me an uneasy smile.

"Aww…look at them!" Sirius cooed from behind us. "OW! Mooooonnnnnyyyy! What was that for?" Remus mumbled something in response. "Aww…Is it your time of month, too?" Sirius asked, louder than necessary.

"Shut up!" Remus said in a worried tone. I looked around, hoping no one heard that. Fortunately, the only person that seemed to have heard was the only one, other than the five of us, who knew: Snape. He was staring intently at us and only until my eyes met his did he look away.

_Why's Snape staring at us?_ James passed to me.

**I'm not sure…it's weird.**

_Yeah, he kinda does that a lot…ever get the feeling you're being watched?_

**I'm not sure what you're on about, James, but yes, I do get the feeling I'm being watched, and it's **_**always**_** because of you.**

_But…_

**Do you even know where you're going with this?**

_Well, not completely…_

**Exactly! Just give it up. There's nothing to decipher here.**

_I don't know…_

**James!**

_But I find it kind of weird…like there's something unsettling about the way he looks at you…_

**You're imagining things.**

_Hmph. Fine._

**Please tell my why you decided to write out 'Hmph'?**

_Why'd you?_

**But I was just writing it because I was asking why **_**you**_** wrote it!**

She's got a point, Prongs

_Moony! You're supposed to be taking notes!_

You already know this stuff anyway, there's no point!

_That's true…_

_Padfoot is here. This conversation just got interesting_

**BLACK! YOU BETTER WATCH YOUR BACK TODAY!**

_Lily-flower, I prefer 'Mr. Padfoot', thank you._

**Go away…**

_If you insist…_

She didn't mean it literally, you daft imbecile!

**That wasn't very nice, Moony.**

_YEAH! Thank you, Wormtail!_

**Peter, why are you supporting him? You know he's wrong.**

**I'm not supporting him, I just didn't think that calling Padfoot a daft imbecile was very nice**

_It's true though_.

_What? Is it 'go against Sirius Black' day?_

_Yes._

_Shut up._

_You shut up_.

_You shut up first_

_You_

_You_

_You_

_You!_

Guys! Shut. Up.

_Fine._

**Guys, why'd it get all quiet? And where'd Lily go?**

"Whoops." James whispered. I rolled my eyes. They _finally_ realized.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, Mr. Pettigrew, detention, tonight." Slughorn said tiredly.

"YES!"

"NO!" James and I screamed at the same time. I was grateful that the silencing charm was broken. I liked silence, but only when _I_ wanted it. "Wait, how'd you know about my plans for tonight?" He asked, his shoulders slumping a little.

"Why don't you ask Peter?" I replied with a triumphant smirk.

"Wormtail!" James yelled in disbelief.

"She took my food." Peter shrugged.

"But Professor, I _can't_ do it tonight! I'm er…_very_ busy!" James protested again.

"No, he's not. I think today would be _just fine_." I smiled. Slughorn nodded in agreement.

"This isn't over." James muttered to me.

"Wait, hold on, Moo- I mean… Remus' name wasn't mentioned in this!" Sirius remembered.

"I think it's punishment enough that he has to patrol today." Slughorn said tiredly.

"But-"

"Mr. Black! If you interrupt my class one more time, I will start taking points!" Slughorn threatened.

"Fine!" Sirius muttered. "It seems like it's _everyone_'s time of month today!" He added under his breath. I shot a silencing charm at him.

* * *

**A/N: I realize this chapter is super short, but I was unfortunately suffering from _horrible_ writer's block. Couldn't think of anything to write about...**

**Anyway, I put up a Lily/James oneshot this week that you might want to read?  
**

**Please REVIEW!**

**Until next Friday...**

**Love,**

**SAM :)  
**


	23. Flying

Flying

"Wake up!" I sang as I skipped into the Marauders' room.

"Oh my Merlin! Lily, can't you _knock_?" Sirius screamed in horror as he got under the covers. I stopped in my tracks.

"The door was _open_." I pointed out, jerking my thumb at the open door.

"Well, we like to change with the door open since we don't expect to be ambushed by Little Red Riding Hood!" Sirius exclaimed. I put my hands on my hips.

"I am _not_ Little Red Riding Hood!" I protested.

"You just came _skipping_ into the room. You have _red_ hair!" He shot back.

"How do you know about Little Red Riding Hood, anyway?" I asked suspiciously. Sirius does not _read_ on will. And he was pureblood, he wouldn't know about it.

"Mum would throw a fit if she caught me reading muggle fairytales." He smirked evilly.

"Probably the only book he ever picked up." Peter muttered from his bed. Sirius threw a pillow at him.

"Get out. I have to put on my clothes." Sirius told me with an accusing glare.

"You're _wearing_ clothes, you daft imbecile!" Remus mumbled from under his covers. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh yeah!" Sirius said, jumping out of his bed. Idiot. "I'm going to the bathroom. Please do try to restrain yourself and not _do_ anything with James at this time of the day." He told me as he walked in the bathroom.

"We have more decency with that!" I yelled as he closed the door. The room was silent, except for the sound of the tap running in the bathroom. The other three were still lying down and I knew Peter and Remus were awake, and probably trying to go back to sleep. I cautiously walked over to James' bed and sat down in an area he wasn't sprawled all over. I shook him a little. "James, wake up." I whispered. He didn't even move. He just kept breathing, his bare chest moving up and down slowly, and his mouth slightly ajar. I resisted the urge to touch his chest and lowered myself closer to his ear. "James! James, wake up." I whispered. He still didn't move. I sighed. Well this would do, too. I moved my lips to his jaw line and trailed kisses to his mouth. I pressed my lips to his and broke away when he started moving his, too. His eyes fluttered open.

"I honestly would not mind waking up in the morning if you did that everyday." He told me with a goofy smile.

"Happy Birthday!" I whispered, and gave him another quick kiss.

"Oh yeah! I forgot!" He laughed quietly. "Thanks." He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me on to his chest.

"Guys, _way_ too early for this!" Remus said tiredly as he got up and covered his eyes. James grinned.

"It's never too early for Lily!" James smiled and kissed me again and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Guys! _Merlin's pants_, my EYES!" Sirius screamed. I scrambled off of James and pulled him up, doing my best to avoid looking at his upper body. Sirius was covering his eyes and Remus was red. I felt my neck and ears turn red. Sirius moved a finger from his eyes. Once he saw us apart from each other, he moved his hands completely from his face. "Way to be a ginger, Lily." He smirked, obviously referring to my reddening neck and ears. I glared at him.

"Prongs, an owl just came for you…" Peter said, pointing at the window. He turned it over in his hands. "I think it's from your parents." He said softly, handing the letter to him. Sirius, Peter, and Remus exchanged glances and made a silent agreement to leave.

James finally told them about his parents' Dragon Pox the day after he told me. James was dealing with it all very oddly. Sometimes, he'd be fine and happy and like he usually was. Sometimes, he'd be absolutely convinced they were going to…pass. Whenever he voiced these thoughts to me, he always explained it as a "sixth sense" about it. Then, there were those times that he just burst into tears randomly. Like if he was silent and doing nothing for too long. This was _always_ the scariest because he looked so hopeless, and scared, and like a little kid again. A scared little kid who was deathly afraid of losing his parents, and that scared _me_. And then sometimes, he'd be blissful and somehow _okay_ with it all. He'd say that it's okay even if his parents _do_ die, because that's how people should die, with their significant other, apparently.

"Lily…" He whispered, voice quivering. "I…I don't want to open it." He confessed in a small voice. I took his hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze.

"It's okay, just open it, it's only a letter, and it's your birthday. You're their only son, James. How do you think they'd feel if they didn't wish their only son a Happy Birthday on his most important one? How would _you_ feel if you wouldn't be able to do that?" I reminded him. He nodded numbly. He traced over the letters of his name on the front of the letter and then flipped it around to the back. He undid the seal and carefully pulled out the letter. It was fairly short and didn't take him too much time to read through it. When he was done, he looked in the envelope again. He stuck his hand in and pulled out a gold watch. He looked at it and fingered the glass for a while before putting it on. "They said Happy Birthday, and that they hated how my birthday was in the middle of the year, so they wouldn't be able to give me the watch in person. They said they're doing fine, keeping each other company, and Misty visits them often. Oh, and they say hi." He said with a smile and a light in his eyes that showed me he was genuinely happy.

"That's great!" He pulled me in for a hug, but I was blushing fiercely. I got up from the bed, went to his closet, and threw him a shirt to wear. He caught it and looked at me with an amused expression. "I'm a teenage girl; I have uncontrollable hormones, too!" I defended. He shook his head and laughed.

"I'm going to go take a shower." He announced, rising to his feet. I nodded slowly, and waited for him to go into the bathroom, so I could run back to my room and get his present. He winked at me and then shut the bathroom door.

I immediately rose to my feet and raced out of the room, down the boys' stairs, and then up the girls'. I walked as quickly as I could to my room and completely breathless, I stopped in front of my open trunk. Right on top was the present I was going to give him; I had it wrapped up at least a week beforehand.

I looked outside and instantly felt a lot happier; it was bright outside, and looked warm, for the first time since about December. I preferred the cold over the heat, but being cold for too long could easily get anyone depressed. It explained the Slytherins' behavior. They lived in the freezing cold dungeons from September to June!

My breathing returned to normal, so I left the room, descended the girls' staircase, went up the boys' and went back up to James' room. Only when I put the gift down on his bed, once again breathless, I realized: I probably could've just summoned it.

I waited in his room for at least fifteen minutes before he actually came out. And when he did, I was torn between making him stay and making him go back in the bathroom. He was shirtless again. I sighed in defeat. He was definitely trying to _torture_ me.

"James, _must_ you walk around shirtless?" I complained, meeting his eyes. He grinned and gave me a sly grin. He took a huge step towards me and wrapped his strong arms around my torso and pressed my back against his chest.

"So, you'd have a problem if I do _this_?" He asked, kissing my neck and rubbing my stomach. He trailed slow kisses from my neck up and I let out a small moan when he hit a particularly sensitive spot. We heard a small, but high-pitched terrorized squeal coming from the doorway. James turned us around, keeping me in the same position. Peter was at the door, his hands over his eyes, and he was shaking and hyperventilating. I felt myself blush. "Uh…Wormtail, are you okay?" James asked, holding back laughter. He withdrew his arms from me. Peter slowly removed his hands from his eyes and color started rising to his cheeks.

"I…uh…j-just n-needed…s-something. But if-if you're…busy…the-then I c-can come b-back later?" He stuttered. I bit my lip to keep from laughing. He looked so nervous, as though McGonagall was giving him one of her signature glares. When we didn't respond, he scurried into the room, quickly rummaged through his trunk, and left without giving us another glance. The second we heard his footsteps quickly descending the stairs, we burst out into laughter.

"Oh Merlin, did you see his _face_?" James laughed.

"I know, and then when he was talking?" I said, clutching my stomach, and breathing heavily.

"He looked like McGonagall was _glaring_ at him!" James said, trying to catch his breath again. Suddenly, he just stopped and stared at me. He took me into his arms once more. "I love you, Lily." He whispered into my ear and pressed his lips delicately to my forehead.

"I love you, too, but _please_ put on a shirt!" I begged him. He laughed and turned around to look through his closet. I took this opportunity to pick up his gift that was on his bed. I walked over to him. He was sitting on the windowsill, just staring out the window. When I moved closer I realized his window was facing the same direction as mine, towards the Quidditch Pitch.

"It's the reason we fought for this room," he began, "Because it was in perfect view of the Quidditch Pitch. It was back in first year. To get this room, we individually had to get rid of each member whose bed we wanted. They weren't friends, just outcasts. Moony put slugs all over the bed, closet, and drawer that are now his, Padfoot convinced the kid that was originally there that the room was inhabited by ghosts. He some how found out that the kid was afraid of all the ghosts, so he got Peeves to go there every night and whisper things in the kid's ear. Wormtail came every night and started making squealing noises underneath the Cloak, so that kid got freaked out and left. Mine, though, mine was _definitely_ the best. I scarred that kid for life, definitely. I sent him fake notes, whispered things into his ear…saying that his time was coming, that the wrakspurts would get him, like they got his other roommates." James smiled contently at the memory.

"What's a wrakspurt?" I asked skeptically, sitting down next to him. He shook his head.

"I have no idea. He was always a loony kid. Name was Lovewell or something…might've been Lovegood? No, I think it was Lovewell…" He said, not taking his eyes off the Quidditch Pitch. He was obviously _longing_ to be out there. I put the wrapped present on his lap. He looked up and gave me a questioning look. Comprehension dawned on his face. "Lily, you didn't have to…" He muttered. I shook my head.

"No, I didn't," I agreed. "But I _wanted_ to, quoted by _you_." I reminded him. "Now open it!" He smiled and carefully undid my wrapping. He opened it all the way and his mouth formed an "O". It was a personalized Broom Cleaning Kit. Pretty much everything had his name engraved on it in an elegant, gold script.

"Thanks, Lily." He smiled, and hugged me tightly. "I really do love it." He put it on his bedside table.

"It's not much, but I thought you'd like it." I told him truthfully, looking back at it. He was silent for a while.

"I want to see you fly. Today. We're going to the Quidditch Pitch today. And today, you will fly." He told me with a new light in his eyes. I crinkled my nose. My initial reaction was a stern "No." but it _was_ his birthday. And it _did_ sound interesting. I took a breath and I nodded. He gave me a goofy looking smile, and pulled me on to his lap. "I can't wait." He whispered into my ear.

* * *

"Come on, Lily. Just get on it." James coaxed me. I looked at the broom I was holding and crinkled my nose.

"But it _flies_." I reminded him. He raised an eyebrow.

"_No_, really?" He asked sarcastically. I rolled my eyes. "Do you remember how to get on it?" He asked me. I nodded.

"I did pay attention back in first year…well, _most_ of the time."

"Because the rest of the time, you were staring at _me_!" He smiled triumphantly.

"No, but tell me what I'm supposed to do. I don't remember, it's been five years." I reminded him.

"Okay." He nodded, "Now just _get on_!"

"Fine…" I huffed and swung my leg over to one side of the broom.

"Good," he smiled. "Now kick off." I took a deep breath. I closed me eyes and pushed off the ground with my feet. I felt myself rise higher and my feet were lifted off the ground. I opened my eyes.

"I'm flying! I mean…hovering!" I corrected myself. I still wasn't _moving_. James grinned.

"Yes, you are…but you're barely off the ground. Go higher." He encouraged me. I was going to ask how, but my broom raised itself as the thought formed in my head.

"Whoa! How'd that happen?" I asked, shocked.

"Did you want to go higher?" He asked me. I nodded.

"Then that's how it happened. You were pulling up the broomstick already, and you were thinking to yourself to go higher!" He exclaimed. That was actually pretty cool. _Higher_. I thought to myself as I pulled the broomstick up a little. I started rising up, farther and farther away from James. When I was at a good height, I told myself to stop, and I stopped! This was actually _fun_! James got on his broom and quickly joined me in the air. "You're doing great!" He complimented. "Now I'll teach you how actually move forward." He told me. "Put your hands towards the front of the broomstick. And lean forward, just a little." He instructed. I did as I was told and the broom slowly started moving forward.

"James, James, I'm moving!" I told him excitedly. He laughed.

"Yeah, you are! And you're doing great so far!" He smiled, as he flew slowly besides me. "Now lean forward just a little more and push a _little_ on your broomstick." I did as he said, and I found myself moving forward faster.

"Wow, this is fun!" I laughed as I went faster, then slowed down a little, then went faster again.

"Glad you think so." He smiled wide at me. "Now, we're going to turn. Are you ready?" He asked me. I nodded enthusiastically. "It's like going forward, but instead of just leaning forward, hold the broom tighter, and lean in the direction you want to go in." He instructed. I tilted my head in slight confusion. "You want me to show you?" He asked. I nodded. "Okay, so I'm tightening my grip around the broom," I saw his veins pop out a little as his hands tightened around the broom, "Now I'm going to lean," He leaned a little to the left and he started to _turn_!

"Whoa." I whispered to myself.

"Now you do it!" He told me eagerly. I nodded and took another breath. I was going to have to be calm to do this.

I mentally hit myself for not reading anything on Quidditch. It was _purely_ because I didn't want James to think we had _anything_ in common, but there was no way I could deny how much I enjoyed watching it. But actually _flying_ was nothing in comparison. It was great, this feeling of pure freedom. And I thought James was insane for liking this!

I took another breath. I tightened my grip on the broom, and leaned slightly to the right, bringing the broomstick with me. _And it turned_!

"I just turned, James, did you see that? Did you see that?" I asked excitedly. I felt like a little kid again, I got that same feeling I got when I just learned how to ride my bike, without the training wheels. He laughed.

"Yes, I did, good job. Now try going the other way." I leaned to the right and turned my broomstick a little more this time. I actually turned _faster_!

"Did you see that? I turned _faster_!" I told him, excitedly. He gave me an amused expression.

"Yes, you did. Now why don't we go a few laps around the Pitch? It's empty." he offered. I nodded.

"Let's do it!" He laughed and started to rise higher and I followed him.

I didn't really talk much as he flew next to me. I was mostly concentrating on what I just learned. By the last lap we did, I was flying, and turning without really thinking. It was an amazing feeling, and I wouldn't have _ever_ imagined it was this fun!

"Do you know how to get down?" He asked me, with a hint of excitement in his voice. I had a feeling I was supposed to just point the broom downward, but whenever James did that in his Quidditch matches, he went down _really_ fast, like in a dive. And I definitely did _not_ want that. I pushed down on my broom a little, putting more weight on my hands. The broom, miraculously, went down! I pushed down harder and I started descending faster. As I got closer to the ground, I slowly stopped putting pressure on the broomstick. It descended slower, and soon, my feet were back on the ground. I was just going to ask James if I did it right, but I noticed, he wasn't near me. I looked up and he was still there. Suddenly, he started moving quickly towards me, doing one of his infamous dives. I moved a little out of the way, since he was heading towards me. In no time, he landed neatly next to me, broom in hand.

"Will you ever teach me how to do that?" I asked excitedly. His eyes went wide.

"You know, when I brought you out here, I had the feeling you'd never get back on a broom again." He told me with a smile. His eyes were all lit up, and looked like he usually does after he plays Quidditch. His hair was all ruffled up from the wind, and his face was a little red. "You look like I do after I play Quidditch!" He smiled, touching my red face. I felt my hair a little and realized it was all messy from the wind and flying, too.

"We should probably get back to the castle." I suggested.

"Yeah…" He replied, still smiling at me. We started walking hand-in-hand back to the castle. "I'm really happy you like Quidditch. I mean, this is _great_!" He said animatedly.

"I didn't think I'd like it so much, either! It's so much more fun than I thought it'd be!" I agreed.

"And I've been saying that for _years_!" He laughed. "You never believed me!" We heard the loud ringing of the clock. "It's dinnertime. Shall we go eat?" He asked, pointing towards the entrance of the Great Hall. I nodded.

"And really, I want to learn how to do that dive thing! It's crazy! And it's _so_ cool!" I begged.

"I didn't think I'd ever see the day _you_, of all people, would _ask_ me to teach you Quidditch. And by the way," He told me, as he led me towards where Marlene, Sirius Remus, and Peter were sitting, "The way I learned how to do it was because of the Wronski Feint. It's my modified version of it." He explained.

"Oh, is that thing you used to do sometimes where you pretended to see the Snitch and then dove down to go get it? And then pulled up your broom _just_ before you hit the ground? The other Seeker completely crashed? I saw you do that loads of times last year! And then sometimes you'd actually see the Snitch, and the other Seeker would never really know if you saw the Snitch or not that time! It was pretty good tactic." I admitted.

"Thanks." He said, as we sat down.

"Hi, guys." Remus smiled.

"Hi, guys." Sirius said, eying us suspiciously. "Judging by your weird, happy, and rather airy look in your eyes, _and_ messed up hair, _and_ red faces, I'd say you did _it_." He said with a knowing look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, did _what_?" I asked, hoping he wasn't talking about what I _think_ he was talking about.

"You know…_it_. You're both technically old enough now…" Sirius snickered.

"PADFOOT!" James screamed, his face turning redder. I kicked Sirius underneath the table.

"OW!" He yelled out, and clutched his leg. "What was that for?"

"FOR BEING A DAFT IMBECILE!" James and I screamed together. Remus snickered.

"Aw, are we making that my name from now on? Really?" Sirius asked with a dejected sigh.

"Yes. And we weren't doing _that_. We _flew_." James corrected him with a glare. Sirius gave him a sheepish grin in return.

"James finally convinced you to fly? And judging by your happiness, it went well?" Remus asked, raising an eyebrow. I nodded.

"Iw went wew?" Peter asked, with his mouth full. Remus gave him a pointed look. "It went well?" He repeated in awe.

"Wow, Lily, I didn't think that was possible for you!" Marlene joked, finally speaking up.

"Yeah, we didn't either." James agreed, taking a sip out of his pumpkin juice.

"It was really fun! Like the whole moving and flying thing and it was _so_ cool!" I explained animatedly. Sirius' eyes went wide. Marlene just laughed. She looked towards James.

"What did you do to her?" She jokingly asked.

"Nothing, really. She just realized, like _many_ others, that Flying is _great_!" James smirked triumphantly.

"Oh, Lily, I forgot to introduce you, this is Alex McKinnon." Marlene told me, gesturing the kid next to her, the one she was previously talking to. I nodded a 'hello'. I never talked to him, but I knew who he was, since he was a fellow Gryffindor.

"Hey, Evans." He smiled.

"He asked me out today, and you know that I developed a bit of a crush for him lately." She whispered.

It's true; she talked _non-stop_ about him for the last week. She kept going on about his 'Big brown eyes' and his 'short, messy brown hair' and his 'tan skin and strong arms'. I, however, didn't have much to say to this. Lately, I found _no_ guys attractive, except for James, and I figured it was because I was just falling for James that much more. It was a bit startling when I found out.

"So I said yes, and we spent most of the day together, and we got to know each other a bit more. He's really nice and sweet!" She finished.

"So _are _you guys going to do _that_ anytime soon?" Sirius asked, sniggering a little. James turned red again and hurled a spoon at him.

* * *

**A/N: Okay so first off: I changed Marlene's last name when I first said it, back in Chapter 16, so I could make her start dating this Alex kid I put in. He won't be mentioned _too_ often. It's a little AU and I wasn't sure about it at first when _Ks21178_ gave me the idea (THANKS, BTW!) but then I thought it over, and I figured it be easier to write about times when Marlene isn't there, since I planned this story as a Lily and Maruaders one.**

**2nd: THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! I _really_ appreciate it!**

**3rd: My timeskips are going to get larger. Next Chapter will the Easter holidays, and the one after will skip right to the summer. **

**I'll be back next friday!**

**Love,**

**SAM :)  
**


	24. The Secret's Out

The Secret's Out

"James! How good to see you again!" Mum squealed as she pulled him into a tight, bone crushing hug. We were back home for Easter, for Petunia's wedding. We'd be here for the wedding tomorrow and then go to James' house for the rest of the Holidays.

"It's good you see you, too, Mrs. Evans." James managed to squeak out. My dad and I exchanged an amused glance. Mum finally let him go.

"Good to see you again, m'boy." Dad said with an easy smile. He stuck his hand out and James shook it.

"Likewise, sir." James replied and gave him a charming grin. My mum's smile only got wider. I rolled my eyes. He was such a suck up. "I trust the match went well?" James asked them.

"Yes, it was _so_ fascinating! It's amazing what you wizards can think of! All the flying and it's just _so_ fascinating!" My dad started animatedly. I laughed.

"Lily seemed to have picked up an interest in it, too." James smiled. He turned around to look at me and smirked. Mum's mouth formed an "O" and my dad gave me an astonished look.

"Err…yeah. James taught me how to fly…and then we've been going after every one of his Quidditch practices." I explained, biting my lip a little.

"Aw, that's _so_ sweet of you! We haven't gotten Lily to do a sport since she was seven!" My mum squealed and she pulled him in for another bone-crushing hug. James started turning bright red and looked slightly flustered. If she was anyone but my mother, I would've blown her to pieces by now.

"Uh, that's great and all mum. But, we'd like to talk to you two in the living room, if you don't mind." I interrupted. I _really_ wanted to get this over with, so James and I didn't have to ruin their mood later on. My dad looked at me and seemed to have noticed my dismal mood, so he obeyed and lead my mum to the living room. James and I left our bags near the stairs and followed them. James and I sat down in the loveseat opposite the Telly, and my mum and dad sat down on the couch next to the Telly. Why they put one _there_, of all places, I don't know. My mum was probably being spontaneous again.

"So, what exactly did you guys want to talk about?" My dad asked, cringing a little. I took a breath and James took my hand in his.

"Well, there are a lot of things…" I started.

"But I think we should start with You-Know-Who." James added.

"He's getting worse, mum. It's like he's building an army or something. And, he's trying to recruit more people. He usually sways towards purebloods, people who have two magical parents." I explained solemnly.

"Are any of us in potential danger? I want complete honesty here." My dad demanded, looking both of us in the eye, similar to something I'd do. James and I exchanged a wary glance, but made a silent agreement to tell the truth.

"Well, both of you, Petunia, and Lily are in no danger, as of right now." James started. "However, Lily being, well, _Lily_ and being all amazing at magic, You-Know-Who might be willing to recruit her, even though she's muggleborn. And now the problem comes where she refuses. If she does, she's in horrible danger, and anyone close to her." James solemnly explained.

"Wait, You-Know-Who would actually be _willing_ to recruit me? What happened to the whole 'Muggleborns and Muggles should be banished from Earth' mantra he's been spreading around?" I demanded. James shrugged.

"He values good talent and bravery. And you have both." He said quietly. I looked up and my mum was slightly pale. My dad was looking off, deep in thought.

"And what about you?" Mum quietly asked James, giving him a worried look.

"He's in more trouble than all of us combined. His parents are ex-Aurors, who are currently in danger. He's has both magical parents, so he's a pureblood, but the type You-Know-Who hates. He accepts muggles and muggle-borns. Although, from what James just said, You-Know-Who might _still_ be after him because James is equally talented and braver than I am." I told them.

"And You-Know-Who would find our situation…amusing…because we're easy blackmail targets. He usually goes for that 'Help me or I'll kill you and the people you love'. It's disgusting and _really_ horrible." James said, crinkling his nose a tiny bit.

"He has followers…student followers." I added reluctantly. James and I agreed before hand that we'd _have_ to tell my parents about the followers inside of Hogwarts, especially since my most recent attack.

"There are _students_ supporting him?" My mum gasped.

"As long as Dumbledore's around, we're all safe. And we're all taking precautions. I haven't let Lily wander around alone _at all_ since she got on the train in the beginning of the year." James assured them quickly.

"Yeah, it was awful. Talk about crowding space. I mean for the longest time, he had _Remus_ guarding my bathroom door, until Remus finally convinced James that I'd be mad if I ever found out." I gave James a pointed look. I found out this piece of information when they accidentally let it slip on the train. James blushed slightly.

"As long as it was _Remus_ I don't mind…" My dad muttered.

"Dad!" I screeched. He shrugged.

"Better safe than sorry…" He argued. I sighed. Men could be _so_ overprotective.

"Putting that aside, there are _students_ supporting him? How? _Why?_" My mum asked. She was a compassionate person. She couldn't fathom why _anyone_ would join them.

"Primarily because of their parents. Their parents influence them and they grow up with these notions. And then there are some who get influenced by their friends…" I explained.

"So you mean people like Severus?" My dad asked. I nodded. James gave me a small smile and rubbed circles on the back of my hand.

"And I guess since we're done with that…" I started.

"No. I have a few more questions…" My mum interrupted. I sighed.

"Alright."

"Have there been any attacks of _any kind_ on _any one_ in the school? During school, I mean." My mum asked.

"And we want the _truth_." My dad added, giving us another stern glare. I could see James fidgeting slightly.

"Truthfully, yes." I blurted out before James could say anything. He wouldn't be able to lie to my parents, especially not when my mum had the same eye shape I did, and my dad had the same green eyes as I did. My dad raised an eyebrow.

"Elaborate?" He asked. I took a breath. I was going to have to be selective.

"Well, there was this one time…James was in the Hospital Wing because of a Quidditch injury. I was going to visit him in between one of my classes, so I let my guard down, so I guess this was kind of my fault…" I paused. James' palms were getting a little sweaty and I could tell he didn't like how I was explaining this. But, I continued. "So I was going to visit him, but one girl who's a big supporter of You-Know-Who, she practically worships the ground he walks on, she kind of attacked me. She sent me flying through the hospital wing doors…and then used this curse that cuts you and makes you bleed, a lot. She thought it'd be a good torture method, because James couldn't do anything, and had to watch me suffer as I was suffering." I explained emotionlessly. It was _part_ of the truth. Leaving out: The possibility that I was under the Imperius curse for a while, the fact that it was _Sirius_ who attacked me at first, and James was unable to help me because he threw himself off the Astronomy Tower. Really, everything except the part where Bellatrix cursed me was a lie. I looked up at my parents. My dad was a bit paler and my mum was trying to fight tears. James looked really uncomfortable, and was probably itching to tell them the entire truth. I gave him a stern look that clearly stated that we should stick with the story I fed them. James bit his lip, but seemed to give in.

"Did this just happen to _you_?" My dad asked after a while. He was holding my mum, who was now crying. I hesitantly nodded. "Why? Why do they want _you_?" He asked.

"Well, there are a few reasons," James said, his voice quavering slightly. "One would be because she's the smartest witch in our year, probably the best student in our school." I blushed at this. "And because she's muggle-born, they don't like it. They think purebloods should be the best…she violates that, and they don't like it. Another would be because she's going out with me. I used to play pranks, all the time, as you've probably heard, and most of them were targeted towards their lot. They don't like me, and since they can't get to me, they try their best to get to everyone around me. Then there's Snape." He said it like it was painful to say his name. "They know the both of them used to talk a lot, so they like to mess around with that." James finished, slightly grimacing.

"Is there anything being done to stop all this? Sure Professor Dumbledore has _something_ up his sleeve!" My dad pointed out. James and I exchanged a glance…we hadn't thought of that.

"Well, we don't know what Dumbledore has in mind, but he definitely has _something_. He's not going to sit around let all this happen, and before you ask, dad, I assure you, Dumbledore knows _everything_ that happens in the castle. He definitely knows what happened." I added.

"Then why hasn't he done anything about it?" My dad demanded angrily. From the corner of my eye, I could see James was starting to get slightly scared. He was starting to see temperamental me again.

"He doesn't have any proof that the girl who did it actually did it. She ran out of Hogwarts after she did, apparently. And it's like Dumbledore to let us handle things ourselves." I explained with a shrug.

"But students are in _danger_. Hell, my own daughter was _attacked_ right under his nose! And this is some kind of _game_ to him!" My dad asked, his face now turning red. James gulped.

"It's not a game to him, Dad, it's just that he'd rather have us do things on our own. When we're out there, in the real world, he won't be there to come bursting through the door and save us with a flick of his wand." I tried explaining without losing my patience. "We're seventeen. We're of age and are expected to act that way." I reminded him. My dad nodded; He accepted this answer, well, for now. My mum finally stopped crying, so I conjured handkerchief for her to use.

"Thanks." She replied as I waved it over to her. James and I exchanged another glance. Time for the second thing we need to talk about. James gave my hand an encouraging squeeze.

"Mum, Dad, James and I will need to talk to Petunia and Vernon about our world. Vernon will have to know. He'll be part of the family now. As much as I realize it'd be better off without him knowing, and Petunia would have a fit, he does need to know." I told them. They exchanged a glance.

"Yes, we figured you would have to." Mum said through sniffles. "She and Vernon should be here any minute now. Why don't you go and take a look at your bridesmaid dress?" She suggested, recomposing herself a bit. I nodded and motioned James to get up with me.

"Yes, why don't both of you go? So you can show James where he's going to sleep?" My dad interrupted. We left the room with a final glance at my parents. I brought out my wand and levitated our bags in front of me as we walked up the stairs.

"Well, that was interesting." I mused. James nodded, but he had this odd look in his eyes. I stopped walking. "James…?" I waved a hand in front of his eyes. He nearly walked into me.

"Oh! Right sorry." He said, snapping out of whatever reverie he was in. Then, he seemed to realize what I was doing. "Why are _you_ carrying the bags? Shouldn't _I_ be doing it?" He asked, eyeing the floating baggage. I rolled my eyes and started walking again.

"First of all, I'm not _carrying_ it, I'm levitating it. Second, I want to see how it feels doing magic outside of Hogwarts." I reminded him. It's the first time I could do it.

"Yeah? Well it feels _exactly_ how it does when we do magic _in_ Hogwarts." He muttered under his breath.

"Shut up." I hit him on the arm. "This is your room." I told him, pointing to the room closest to the stairs. I set the baggage down in front of it.

"Forget mine, I want to see yours! I didn't get to see it last time I was here." I sighed and hoped someone cleaned it. I opened the door and the first thing I saw was my bridesmaid dress lying on the bed.

It was a nice blue, almost a turquoise. It's probably the only type of blue that I'd look good in. I walked over to it and picked it up. It went until around my knees and it was strapless. At the bottom, it puffed out slightly.

"It looks great. And it'll look even better when it's on you." James whispered to me as he wrapped his arms around my waist. I blushed and gave him a brief kiss on the lips. "Are you going to try it on?" He asked eagerly. I let out a small laugh.

"Yeah, give me a minute." I took the dress and was at the door when I turned around again. I pulled out my wand and locked my clothes drawers. James raised an eyebrow.

"What, you don't trust me alone in your room?" He smirked.

"I trust _you_; I just don't trust your hormonal teenage mind." I corrected him. He laughed.

"Probably wise." I rolled my eyes and went into the bathroom to try on the dress.

Five minutes later, I came back into my room, and James was sitting angelically on my bed, as though he hadn't moved since I left the room.

"What do you think?" I asked him, spinning around a little. He grinned.

"You look great. You're going to be the most gorgeous one there." I blushed.

"Thanks." I replied shyly. He stared at me with caramel eyes, which I haven't seen in a _long_ time. I felt my knees getting weak and my palms were starting to sweat. If he kept looking at me like that, I would _definitely_ be reduced to a puddle. "I should probably go change." I stuttered when I found my voice. He nodded, never taking his eyes off mine. I felt my face turn redder and I turned around and walked back towards the bathroom. When I came back, dress in hand, he didn't seem like he moved since I left the room. "James, you know you don't have to stand there like a statue." I reminded him as I waved a hand in front of his face. I hung the dress on the back of my door.

"Yeah." He replied airily. That was a much delayed reaction. I took his hand and led him to my bed. I sat next to him, cross-legged. I turned around to face him. He was staring into space _again_.

"James…" I said softly. I reached out and touched his cheek. He jumped slightly and looked at me, a little bit alarmed. "What's wrong?" I asked, hoping it wasn't one of the many stupid, petty things he tended to worry about.

"I don't know….like everything…" He muttered vaguely. Even though he only said a few things, I did get what he was worried about. His parents, You-Know-Who, school, it was a lot for him to handle all at once. Worst part was, none of this was going to blow over anytime soon.

"It'll all work out in the end…it always does. We just need to keep positive…and hope for a positive outcome." I told him. I wrapped my arms around his torso and rested my head on his shoulder. He put his arms around my waist and hugged me closer.

We stayed in that position for a little while, but then the doorbell rang.

"That'll be Petunia." I muttered, wondering if I was really ready to do this. James seemed to be thinking along the same lines as me.

"We can do this. We'll be fine." James told me encouragingly, but I had a feeling he was just trying to convince himself. His last encounter with Vernon went horribly.

"I have a strong feeling he'll be thinking like Petunia when he finds out. Not that I care. I'd rather he steer himself as far away as possible, but I don't want him to drag Petunia with him." I admitted. He didn't say anything, only took my hand and led me downstairs.

"Let's get this over with." He whispered in my ear as we walked to the Kitchen. Petunia, Vernon and my parents were sitting at the breakfast table. My dad was pretending to be interested as Vernon droned on about his drills.

"Lily, did the dress fit right?" My mum asked, interrupting Vernon in his monologue.

"Yes, it did, Mum." I replied. Petunia and Vernon turned around. Petunia didn't look very happy with me and Vernon was glaring at James. I glanced at James and saw he was glaring back.

"Come, come, sit. You did say you need to talk to Vernon about something?" My mum replied quickly. She probably didn't want Vernon to continue talking. James and I walked to the Breakfast table and sat next to each other, right in front of Petunia and Vernon.

"Talk to Vernon about what?" Petunia asked suspiciously.

"About our school." I replied somewhat nonchalantly. I was really hoping she wouldn't completely explode.

"What? No, you're _not_ going to tell him about that!" Petunia replied adamantly.

"Tell me about what?" Vernon asked, now looking between us.

"We're going to have to! He'll be part of the family! Isn't that what you want?" I shot back, trying to keep my voice in control.

"No, there's no need to tell him!" Petunia shrieked.

"Tell me what?" Vernon repeated, but I ignored him.

"Yes, there is, because there is a chance your child, if you have any, could be-"

"STOP STOP! No child of mine will be exposed to any of the _freak_ stuff!" Petunia yelled. I cringed slightly. I inhaled slowly, trying to keep myself in control again.

"Petunia, we talked about this." Mum said in a warning tone.

"FINE!" She huffed. "But he's not going to like any of it either, I know it." She sneered. James and I exchanged a glance.

"The school I go to, the boarding school, it's not like any other school." I started.

"It's called Hogwarts-"

"_Hogwarts_? What kind of name is _Hogwarts_?" He asked snidely. I ignored him and continued.

"It's a school for witchcraft and wizardry." I said slowly.

"For…witchcraft and wizardry?" He repeated. "Is this some kind of joke?" He demanded. "There are no such things!"

"Yes, there is. James is a wizard. I am a witch." I replied. "Would you like proof?"

"You can't do magic outside of school!" Petunia interrupted.

"We're both seventeen now. Wizarding Law says we can do magic outside of school." James told her. She glared at him. I tried my best to ignore her. I took out my wand from my pocket.

"This is my wand. Willow, 10¼ inches." I showed him, holding it up. He raised an eyebrow. There was a plate on the table.

"_Wingardium Leviosa_." I said with a flick of my wand. The plate started rising. Petunia cringed a little. I lowered it down. "_Geminio_." I said, and another plate appeared. "_Accio Dad's Newspaper_." I said, and the newspaper my dad was reading flew towards me. I looked at Vernon and he looked horrified. "Would you like another demonstration?" I asked sweetly, trying my best not to laugh.

"No, I don't need to see anymore of _that_." He stuttered.

"Now, you can't tell _anyone_ about this." I reminded him. He gave me a puzzled look.

"Why, _why_ would I tell anyone about _this_?" He asked in disgust. "I'd be ridiculed for life! Who would want to be related to _your_ type?" He sneered. I glanced at James, who was glaring daggers at Vernon. We needed to get out of here quick, before he tackled Vernon to the ground.

"Okay, that's great. Now James and I need to go…I'll see you tomorrow then, Vernon." I said quickly. I rose to my feet and so did James, keeping his eyes glued to Vernon's. I pinched his arm.

"Dursley." He grunted with a forced nod of the head. Vernon was looking anywhere but him.

"Potter." He replied with equal malice. I dragged James out before he could say anything more. I felt a little guilty though; I hadn't even spared a glance towards Petunia.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you guys liked it! I'm really happy with all the review's I've been getting! I can't believe we're almost at 100! THANKS GUYS!**

**I'm going to skip the wedding, because Lily at Petunia's wedding is just way cliche, I've read so many of it, I don't think I could stand writing it. I'm going straight to where they visit James' parents.**

**HAPPY HOLIDAYS, EVERYONE!**

**Love,  
**

**SAM :)**


	25. HearttoHeart

Chapter 25: Heart to Hearts 

"Well, I'm glad that's finally over…" James muttered as we walked up to his front door.

"Yeah, I know. That was just plain _torture_." I agreed, remembering the marks on my feet and feeling the pain of those heels.

"But you know, seeing you in that gorgeous dress was worth it." He turned to me and gave me a kiss. I blushed.

"You didn't look too bad yourself." I told him. His black tux made his eyes really stand out and actually made his glasses, dare I say it, look _sexy_ on him.

"I know." He replied with an easy smirk.

"I need to remind myself to lay off the compliments on you. Soon, your broom won't be able to lift you off the ground." I said teasingly. He stuck his tongue out at me.

"You know," he started, his facing all of a sudden becoming serious, "For someone who seemed so opposed to this marriage, you're really happy right now." He observed. I crinkled my nose a bit. I hated when people pointed this out to me. I shrugged it off.

"It'll hit me soon. It always does. Things like this have _always_ been slow for me to realize what's happening. I couldn't even believe I was going to Hogwarts until I actually arrived there, even though Snape had been telling me stories since I was ten. So I think I'll be happy while I'm blissfully unaware, and let it hit me when it does." I replied, realizing that my voice sounded oddly optimistic right now. With any luck, it wouldn't hit me at al…But knowing me, it was going to happen. James raised an eyebrow at me.

"Uh..ahh…suit yourself?" He asked, probably more confused about me than ever. I laughed and hit him on the arm. "You know, since you're so happy right now, why don't we go play some Quidditch?" He suggested.

"Okay!" I said, once again realizing, _way_ more enthusiastic than I intended it to be. Why was I so happy right now? Why was I so…carefree and smiling like an idiot? "_James Potter_, you _didn't_!" I gasped, coming to the realization that seemed most obvious. It also explained the bitter taste in my mouth.

"Lily, I haven't done a _lot_ of things in my lifetime, which would you be talking about right now?" He asked, a little _too_ innocently. I hit him on the arm.

"You know what I'm talking about! What'd you slip into my drink?" I asked accusingly. He cracked a small smile.

"Now, before you get mad at me,"

"It's already too late for that!" I muttered, glaring at him.

"In my defense, it wasn't on purpose! See, while I was drinking _mine_, someone knocked into me and slipped a lot of my drink into yours. And you didn't notice, so I wanted to see how you'd act under the influence of wine, isn't that what they call it?"

"Yeah, it is. But _honestly_. We're _under age_ in the Muggle world!" I pointed out to him. He simply shrugged.

"Guys, are you coming inside or _what_?" Sirius' annoyed voice came from the door. James and I laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, we're coming." I told him, hitting him on the head. He raised an eyebrow at me, then looked at James, and then back at me. He looked at James for a long time, and then starting looking at me very intensely. I felt like I was being analyzed.

"Padfoot, what are you _doing_?" James asked, interrupting Sirius' analyzing. He slowly turned to James.

"You two did it, didn't you?" Sirius asked. James and I exchanged a glance.

"Did what?" We asked suspiciously. He raised an eyebrow.

"I _knew_ you guys would have sex at Lily's house! Remus owes me!" He said happily. James and I exchanged another glance, a blush creeping up on both of our faces. We hit him on the head.

"No, Sirius, we didn't do _it_." I told him.

"And I assure you, if we did, I think we have more decency than to do it at Lily's parents' house, where her _dad_ could come in at any moment and chase after me with a bat." James pointed out.

"Ohhhhhh….." Sirius said, comprehension dawning on his face. Yet, I still had the feeling he didn't get it. "So you're going to do it _here_ instead?" He asked. I shook my head.

"No, Sirius, we aren't doing it _here_ either. Now that we're done with _that_ conversation,"

"Wait, who says we're done?" Sirius asked me.

"_I_ do." James interrupted, turning red. "Here, let me take our bags upstairs, Lily, you'll be staying in the guest room across from my room, okay?" He told me. I nodded. He took my bag from me and went upstairs.

"So how's it been?" I asked Sirius. He tilted his head. "I mean like with James' parents." I clarified. He bit his lip.

"They're not in as a good state as they used to be. They sleep in for over half the day. They're still their jolly selves, don't get me wrong, but they're weaker. St. Mungo's says they can't do anything about it." He said, all in a low whisper. I looked upstairs. James still hadn't come down yet. He was probably visiting them. I looked back at Sirius. All I could see was hurt in his eyes.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked softly, pointing to the couches in the room next to us. He only looked at me, which was all I needed to go to the couches. We sat down in silence and it was a while before he spoke up.

"I came here that day, you would know, since you were here, but anyway, when I came here, they accepted me with open arms, which is more than what I can say for my own parents. They let me live here, they treated me like their own. They clothed me, fed me, gave me a home, they did _everything_ for me. And seeing them, on those beds, so _helpless_, it just pains me, especially since I can't do anything for them. It's so difficult, you know, seeing people you love like that, and knowing you can't do anything to help them." He said softly, his eyes tearing up just the slightest. He was showing more emotion than I've ever seen him show. It was so _sad_, what he was saying, how he was saying it. "I can't lose another set of parents, Lily, I can't." He whispered, his voice cracking. My throat was starting to get all dry and I bit my lip, struggling to hold back tears. I didn't know what to say, I never went through this. Both my sets of grandparents died before I was born, and my parents didn't have any siblings. But, looking back at him, I realized, maybe I didn't need to say anything. Maybe he just needed to get this off his chest, and it wasn't something he was going to tell James. I hugged him closer to me.

"You know, you and James are more similar than I thought." I told him. It made sense why those two were the closest in the group.

"He's my brother; of course he's similar to me." Sirius stated matter-of-factly. It made me want to cry, it really did. Someone like Sirius shouldn't have to go through all this.

"You know, I'll always be here, Sirius, and I'm _not_ just saying that because you're my boyfriend's best friend." I told him sincerely.

"Thanks, Lily-flower, it means a lot." He said, and I could tell he meant it. We stayed like that, letting ourselves think about this new turn in our friendship. "You know," He started, pulling away from me, "You and James are really alike, too. I mean besides the fact that he's a lot more _out there_ than you are, you guys are _really_ similar." He said. I tilted my head. I never really thought about that.

"How so?" I asked, interested in how he came to this conclusion.

"Well, you guys have horrible tempers, that's for sure." he snickered. "But, you'll do anything for the people you love, you both stand up for what you believe in, you don't take any shit from anyone, you're observant, you go out of your way to help other, you're fairly compassionate, you hate the Slytherins, you're both annoyingly smart, you're both natural leaders,"

"Okay, I get it." I told him, trying to get him to be quiet. I felt like such an open book.

"Hey, who says you two are the only observant ones?" He asked, feigning hurt.

"Cause loud people aren't known for being observant." I pointed out. "Besides, I didn't know James had a bad temper. He usually took what I threw at him without that much argument."

"Because deep down, he knew you were right. Why do you think he changed so much over the course of last year?" He reminded me. I eyed him skeptically.

"You were like that, too." I told him.

"Well, I was…but I guess the increasing tension with my parents, the finishing of the animagi transformation, and the finishing of the Marauder's Map kinda made me realize there was more to life than what I was doing." He told me, fidgeting uncomfortably. I looked him over.

"You haven't told anyone else this, have you?" I asked.

"Why do you need to be _so bloody observant_?" He grumbled. He met my eyes. "No, I haven't." I shrugged.

"There's something about me that tends to make people spill." I told him. I didn't know what it was, but it was nice to know people could trust me that easily. "Still, you haven't told me about the times James had a bad temper." I reminded him eagerly. He raised an eyebrow.

"Well, he get's really _physical_ when he's angry, as in he takes it out by punching things, throwing things, doing _violent_ things in general." He shrugged. I laughed.

"That's _exactly_ what I do." He raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" He asked, a smile creeping up on his face. He was probably trying to imagine that.

"Yeah, remember that thing that happened in January? I was throwing flasks all over Myrtle's bathroom. And I enjoy playing with fire. It calms me down for some reason." I shrugged. "I mean I'm not a pyro_manic_ per se, but the fire does calm me down. It comes from my dad. His uncle was apparently a pyromaniac." I rambled. Sirius just laughed out loud. "What?" I asked, feeling slightly uncomfortable, and confused about why he was laughing.

"I just find it funny, that you and your dad both like fire, and happen to have red hair?" He said after calming down a bit. I tilted my head. I didn't really think about that. "Bet you didn't think of that, did you, Lily-flower?" He asked cheekily. I hit him.

"No, I didn't. What would you like? A pat on the back and a speech about how genius you are? Or maybe we should put a pointed hat on your head and call you Merlin!" I said sarcastically. His eyes lit up.

"That would be nice!" I laughed and rolled my eyes.

"Not a chance." I stopped, realizing something, "Have you officially changed my name from Lily, to Red, back to Lily, and then to Lily-flower?" I asked. He thought for a moment.

"That sounds just about right." He nodded.

"Whatever floats your boat, Sirius." I laughed. He smiled and stared at me, as analyzing-ly as he did before, but this time, he seemed more serious about it. His smile was wiped off his face.

"Thanks." He told me. Before I could ask for what, he continued. "For just being _there_ even when you didn't have to. When James and I had that fight last September, you were there, and helped me realize what I was doing. And, out of all of my friends, you're the only one who seems to understand what I'm going, rather _went_ through. They all have ideal, almost _perfect_ families that love them no matter what. I'm just glad I have someone I can relate to, finally. And I'm glad I never asked James to give up on you, no matter how many times I wanted him to. I guess it just shows that I knew, when you'd come around, that you'd be a good help to all of us, and that you'd be the best for James." He told me, not looking breaking eye contact with me. It only showed me how much he wanted to say this and how long he was holding it in. I couldn't help but break into a wide grin.

"Thanks. It _really_ means a lot." I told, sincerely as I hugged him.

"Wooaaaahhhh…..what'd I miss? Padfoot, what'd I say about the three second rule?" James drawled. We broke away, laughing.

"Jealous?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. He put his arms around my waist and pulled me closer.

"The only arms that'll _ever_ be around you are _mine_." He told me teasingly as he leaned in more. I closed the distance between us with a passionate kiss. He put his hands on my face and caressed my cheek. I put my hands on his hips and pulled him even closer. I could feel both of our hearts beating rapidly and it was making me even crazier. He could feel it too, because he moved his hand down to my hip and started playing with the hem of my shirt. I let out a small gasp when his surprisingly warm hand slipped under my shirt. He moved it over my stomach and slowly caressed it.

"AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHH!" We heard Sirius scream. We broke apart, both blushing furiously. He was a bit red in the face, too. "Okay, so I go into the kitchen, you know, to leave you guys some privacy. And after a good five minutes, when I figure it's safe to come back in, I find James' hair all messed up," At this, James attempted to flatten it, "And Lily-flower's shirt all ruffled and halfway up her stomach." Sirius smirked. I turned even redder and pulled it down, trying to smoothen it.

"Yeah that's nice, Padfoot." James muttered, completely embarrassed.

"Moving along, and trying to get that _image_ out of my head - which I'll hopefully never _ever_ have to see again – why don't we go play Quidditch?" He suggested.

"Sure!" I said almost instantly, which earned me an amused smile from Sirius. But James shook his head.

"My parents want to talk to you, Lily. Then you can join us. Meanwhile, we'll be setting everything up." James said and started ruffling his hair again. I sighed. Time to get this over with. I walked upstairs and stopped in front of their door. It wasn't open all the way, so I knocked. I could see Mr. Potter move a little as he spoke.

"Lily, dear, please come in!" He said politely. I opened the door wider and stepped in. They were both skinnier and paler than I'd seen them previously. Looking closer, I noticed their eyes had dark bags under them, and that their skin seemed a bit drier than usual. Other than that, Mr. Potter resembled James as much as I remembered. Except for the eyes. He had Mrs. Potter's eyes.

"Please sit!" Mrs. Potter told me, gesturing the seat at the foot of the bed. I was glad to hear that their personalities seemed unaffected; they were as jovial as they were when I saw them last. I obeyed her invitation to sit, but I had no idea what to say.

"How are you?" I found myself blurting out. I felt my cheeks redden. Where did that even _come_ from? Instead, they burst out laughing. I bit my lip. This was getting slightly awkward…

"We're fine, Lily." They assured me in unison, still smiling brightly.

"How's school?" Mrs. Potter asked, but I felt it was only to carry on a conversation.

"It's great." I stammered.

"Taking care of James? Hasn't done anything stupid lately?" Mr. Potter asked, laughing. I nodded.

"Nope. He's tame." I confirmed, but I could feel myself turning redder. They exchanged a glance.

"We called you up for a reason other than to make small talk with you, Lily." started Mrs. Potter.

"It's about James."

"But that's obvious." Mrs. Potter told me, but mostly directing it towards Mr. Potter's previous statement.

"To be frank, Lily, we don't have much time left." Mr. Potter told me solemnly. I opened my mouth to say something, but Mrs. Potter cut me off.

"Please, don't. We got the Healers to tell us how much time we had left, and they said that at our age, we only really have another seven, and maximum _eight_ months left." She added. Mr. Potter nodded. I really wanted to say something at this point, but I found myself speechless.

"We know it's time to go, we've served all we could here, and we don't regret that. What we do regret is leaving James behind." He told me, with sorrow in his eyes that almost made me cry. I bit lip to keep from tearing up. "And we know, even without us saying anything, you're going to help him."

"We've known since James sent his first letter home, honey, that he was going to fall in love with you. And we knew, that when he brought you home, you return those feelings." Mrs. Potter told me, staring into my eyes. Of course I was. I couldn't imagine _not_ being by his side, now that they were spelling it out for me. Now, I was _really_ trying not to cry and my lip was starting to bleed.

"So we're asking, even though we know you will, to _please_ look out for him. And I have a feeling that you already know this, but he's more vulnerable and emotional than he comes off as." Mr. Potter added. At this, Mrs. Potter was actually starting to cry. "We know you two are meant for each other, and as creepy as that may sound, it's true. I've never seen two people connect like you two do, despite your past. Believe me; we've heard a _lot_ of stories from Sirius." He let out a small chuckle. There was so much truth in his words, even more than I originally thought. "You need each other, because soon, there's going to be a time where he'll only have you and the boys." He told me sadly. I bit down on my lip harder. I didn't want to think of that time. His parents were being crazily sincere, and it was plain _scary_. Just as bad as when James went through his moments like this. "Well, I'm going to stop making you uncomfortable. I hope we can see you again over summer!" He ended, as though the morose conversation did not take place. I took this as an invitation to leave, so I got up.

"Thanks, Mr. and Mrs. Potter. I hope we can meet again soon." I walked towards the door, but then turned around. "And you don't need to worry about James, he's in good hands, I promise." I told them sincerely. And I'd do _everything_ in my power to make sure he was.

* * *

**A/N: I'm feeling VERY sentimental today. Hence my new oneshot- _This Is What You Fought For _**

**Anyway, HAPPY NEW YEAR (EVE)! And I guess, Happy Birthday Voldemort? But yeah. **

**So thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter! I'm SOOO happy, we've almost hit 100! It's a great feeling. And I apologize for not replying to the reviews from last chapter! I only _just_ realized!  
**

**Please review!**

**Love, **

**SAM :)  
**


	26. Light At the End of a Tunnel

Chapter 26: Light At the End of a Tunnel

"Come on, James, you'll be _fine_. You guys can definitely win! You can do it! It's _just the Slytherins_!" I told him encouragingly.

"Yeah, but you know, due to ahem…_new_ distractions, we haven't gotten as much practice in!" One of the team members said, looking pointedly at me.

"What?" I asked innocently. She rolled her eyes.

"Our dear captain has been _very_ distracted lately. And Slytherin's gotten pretty good. Black? He's actually decent." She told everyone.

"Okay, then we have to, no _need to_ play our best! We can't just sit around and blame the captain…or the captain's beautiful girlfriend, for any loss. Because losing is _not_ an option! We are Gryffindors, and we will fight to the _last bloody point_!" James told them all, pounding his fist on the wall. The younger team members looked kind of frightened. The older ones just rolled their eyes.

"_So_ melodramatic…" The girl said to herself.

"Okay, chasers, remember the plans we discussed and practiced, and please, don't do anything I wouldn't do." He advised them.

"So we can't be modest either?" The girl asked cheekily.

"Shut it, Gibson!" He barked back. "As I was saying before I was so _rudely_ interrupted," He started, glaring at the Gibson girl, "Beaters, you guys are already amazing and have worked excellently together since Day 1. Keep it up, and _don't be afraid to play dirty_. The Slytherins are _scum_. Pretend they are _scum at the bottom of your shoe_! And don't be worried about any threats they give you, we're Gryffindors!" He paused dramatically. The younger members exchanged nervous glances. "We're Gryffindors and we are powerful! We are strong! We are brave!" He ended, flailing his arms around. The Gibson girl broke out in to silent giggles. "Seeker! I need to talk to you!" He barked. The poor third year looked really frightened.

"James! He has a name! And you're _not_ playing dirty! That will get you no where." I admonished him. He growled under his breath, which caused us all to stare at him.

"Okay, _John_, I need to talk to you for a moment. Everyone else, please start warming up! _And don't play dirty_." He told them all, mimicking my voice. I glared at him. I left the locker rooms and Sirius, Peter, Marlene and Alex, who Marlene was still going out with, were all waiting outside, and talking.

"How is he?" Was the first thing Sirius asked me. I held back laughter.

"He's being James-y. Yelling at everyone, being dramatic, arrogant and violent." I summed up. He and Peter laughed.

"That's Prongs for ya!" Peter said. And then I noticed Remus wasn't there.

"Where's Remus?" I asked.

"He's _commentating_!" Sirius smiled happily. "See, I wanted to do it, but Minnie was afraid I'd be too biased or something!"

"Yeah Padfoot, I don't see how you'd be biased. I mean, it's not like you have family on the other team that you just _happen_ to hate!" Peter said dryly.

"I know, right?" He agreed, oblivious to Peter's sarcasm. Peter rolled his eyes.

"We should probably get going," Alex suggested, "The game's about to start." We all nodded in agreement. I moved next to Marlene and Alex moved up to talk to Peter and Sirius.

"So, how's it going with you and Alex?" I asked her, shoving her playfully. It's been a while since I talked to her alone…we were always around other people or the guys.

"It's great!" She smiled. "Alex and I have so much in common, I swear, we find out something new that we have in common every day! He's really nice and sweet, and _Merlin_, that kid can kiss!" She told me enthusiastically. I laughed.

"Yes, it's been said that he can." I agreed.

"And what about with you and James?" She asked excitedly. I shrugged.

"Nothing new. Visited his parents over Easter break. Took him to my sister's wedding."

"Aww, you guys met each other's parents?" She asked. I laughed.

"Met each other's parents _again_. The first time was over summer _last year_." I corrected her.

"If you guys don't get married after Hogwarts, I will lose any faith I have that love exists." She told me dramatically, putting her hands over her heart. I rolled my eyes.

"What about you and Alex? You two've been attached by the hip since you started going out!" I pointed out. She gave me a wide grin.

"You have a good point."

"Come on! We need to make sure we get seats as far away from the Slytherins! They're not going to like it when we beat them!" Sirius said, pulling us both forward.

"Oi! Black! Hands off the girlfriend!" Alex said jokingly.

"It's okay, my heart belongs to Minnie!" He replied dramatically. Peter just rolled his eyes, choosing not to take part in this ridiculous exchange.

"Why don't we sit by the Hufflepuffs? They're too…soft…to do anything and the Slytherins think that they're above dealing with them." Peter suggested, probably in effort to change the disturbing subject. Sirius led us to where the Hufflepuffs usually sit, and I'm not sure if it was my imagination, but they _did_ look like a soft lot.

"Is it me or are they all just so…timid?" Sirius whispered.

"No, I see it too." I whispered back. They were staring at us, some of them emotionlessly and some seemed intimidated. Sirius decided to take advantage of this.

"It's okay, oh timid ones, we come in peace! The mighty Gryffindor lions are coming through. Move your arses or we will eat you!" Sirius sang. He stopped abruptly, causing us all to crash into each other. "HEY! That rhymes!" He yelled. "The mighty Gryffindor lions are coming through! Move your arses or we will eat you!" He started to chant. Soon, Peter joined it.

"THE MIGHTY GRYFFINDOR LIONS ARE COMING THROUGH! MOVE YOUR ARSES OR WE WILL EAT YOU! THE MIGHTY GRYFFINDOR LIONS ARE COMING THROUGH! MOVE YOUR ARSES OR WE WILL EAT YOU!" Peter and Sirius chanted over and over again. The stands were quickly filling up, and most were careful to stay away from us.

"MR. BLACK AND MR. PETTIGREW. PLEASE CLOSE YOUR MOUTHS BEFORE I HAVE TO GIVE YOU DETENTION!" Professor McGonagall's voice echoed through the stands. She was using the commentator's microphone.

"ANYTHING FOR YOU, MINNIE!" Sirius yelled back, funnily enough able to talk without having to _sonorus_ himself. McGonagall was fuming and Dumbledore chuckled.

"OKAY so before our wonderful Transfiguration Professor kills my best friend-" Remus was cut off by Sirius.

"YOUR HOT BEST FRIEND!" He said back, this time _really_ sonorused. Everyone in the vicinity covered their ears and glared at Sirius in annoyance, who was oblivious.

"SHUT UP PADFOOT BEFORE I KICK YOU OUT OF OUR DORMS FOR THE NIGHT!" Remus bellowed into the microphone. "ANYWAY, Welcome to the Quidditch Final, between the two rival houses: Gryffindor-" There was a loud cheer from the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws, "And the Slytherins!" There was a loud cheer from the Slytherins that could barely be heard over the other three houses booing. "On the Gryffindor team: the captain, James Potter-" We all cheered loudly as he flew out into the Quidditch Pitch. He winked at me as he passed. "Jane Gibson! Adam Murray! Those are our chasers! Sam Hoot! Dean Levy! Our beaters! Charlie McLaggen! Our Keeper! And finally, John Aplinian, our Seeker!" Remus said. By now, everyone was cheering quite loudly, save the Slytherins.

"NO ONE LIKES YOU, SLYTHERINS!" Sirius bellowed. I looked to Alex, Marlene, and Peter.

"Should I _silencio_ him?" I asked.

"That would be mean." Alex pointed out.

"GO FALL OFF A CLIFF, SLYTHERINS!" Sirius yelled.

"Go ahead." Peter told me. Marlene nodded in agreement.

"_Silencio_!" I said quietly, pointing my wand at Sirius. He opened his mouth again to say something, but discovered he couldn't. He looked at me in astonishment. I gave him a sheepish grin. "Sorry." I told him, patting him on the back. He pouted.

"And now the Slytherin team!" Remus said, but not as enthusiastically. "Flint, Higgs, Bletchy are the Chasers, Pucey, Parkinson are Beaters, Zabini is Keeper, and finally, captain and seeker, Black!" Sirius looked ready to punch someone. I put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

"It's okay." I whispered. He crinkled his nose. I looked back towards the game. Regulus and James were shaking hands. They were doing that ridiculous thing that the captains try to do: See who can hurt the others' hand the most. And, I couldn't tell whose glare was worse.

"And the Quaffle is being thrown up…" Remus said, starting his commentating. "And Potter catches it! Dodges Bludger, pass to Gibson, pass back to Potter, and pass to Murray. Hoot takes possession of Bludger and hits it at Flint, who's trying to intercept Murray's pass to Gibson! Oooh, that's a miss! Parkinson takes Bludger and aims towards Potter. Nice dodge, mate! Potter takes possession of Quaffle. He's almost near the hoops…and shoots…and it goes through! 10-0 Gryffindor!" Loud cheers erupted from the Gryffindors.

"Good, we've started well…although, Black does look a bit more concentrated…but that's just me." Marlene said. I looked towards Regulus and then John. She was right.

"10-10! Gryffindor takes possession of Quaffle again! Oh look, Black might've seen something!" Remus said, terror clear in his voice. I spotted Black speeding towards the Slytherin goals. John was closely following him.

"NO! NO! There's no snitch there! It's a trap! It's a trap!" James yelled at John as he dodged another bludger that was sent his way. John slowed to a stop and looked up. "He's just pretending! Get back up there!" He instructed.

"Ooh, and that looks like Black's attempt at a fake failed thanks to old Seeker and captain, James Potter!" Black flew away from the hoops, glaring at James the entire time. "And the score's still tied, 20-20! It's getting _very_ interesting, folks."

* * *

Two hours passed, and the Final seemed no closer to being finished. Neither seeker had _actually_ come close to finding it, although there were many fakes attempted. People were starting to wonder whether or not the Snitch was still in the Pitch.

"And the score's 300 to 180 Gryffindor!" Remus said, not even trying to follow the players anymore. He looked very tired and impatient. The Slytherins stopped scoring at 180 and were merely going on defense right now because they didn't seem to have enough stamina to be able to go on. The Gryffindors, on the other hand, had long, hard practices, thanks to James, so they were used to this kind of treatment. I just wished they'd catch the Snitch. Marlene and Alex already fell asleep. Sirius stopped trying to make me take the spell off of him and settled to playing Exploding Snap with Peter, and I was watching like a good girlfriend, since James would be upset if I didn't watch. Even McGonagall was losing the spark in her eyes that she usually had during Quidditch matches.

"Even if Slytherin catches the Snitch now, we'll still win!" Peter grumbled. I shook my head.

"No, we won't. We'd lose by thirty." I told him. He stopped playing for a moment.

"Oh yeah…" He said, and then continued playing.

"FINALLY! THEY'VE SEEN THE SNITCH! AND FOR REAL THIS TIME!" Remus yelled into the microphone, causing the entire stadium to finally return their attention to the players. The Seekers were heading upward. They were in the battle for the Snitch, head-to-head, arms stretched out towards it. It was unclear who was going to get it. One moment, it looked like John was going to get it; the next, it looked like Regulus was going to get it. While they were pursuing the Snitch, James managed to score another goal. "I think Black's getting a little close…" Remus said, worry clear in his voice. "Score's 310 to 180… Gryffindor. GRYFFINDOR CHASERS, COME ON! JOHN, COME ON!" He screamed into the microphone. McGonagall was so absorbed in the game that she didn't bother to reprimand Remus for favoring. Regulus seemed to be pulling ahead of John just a little bit, and my heart started to speed up.

"Come on, John…" I whispered. James scored yet another goal.

"Score's 320-180…Gryffindor." Remus said, not even taking his eyes off of the two Seekers. Suddenly, Regulus shot forward, and clasped his hand around the Snitch. "NOO!" Remus yelled. He buried his head in his hand.

"NO!" Peter yelled, along with many of the others in the stadium. Sirius looked like he was going to explode if he couldn't say anything, so I took the silencing charm off of him.

"BLOODY HELL! THAT BASTARD!" Sirius yelled. I didn't bother saying anything…I was thinking that, too. I looked towards James. He was staring into the sky in disbelief. The members of the Gryffindor team were getting down off their broom, one-by-one, and hung their head as they went to the locker rooms, not even looking back. Dumbledore was handing the Cup to the Slytherins. McGonagall's lips were pursed into a thin line as she watched the exchange. The Slytherins were defiant, and yelling and screaming. The rest of the stadium was clearing out, not as happy as they were coming in. James got down from his broom, eyebrows furrowed. He was clearly deep in thought. And that was _always_ a bad thing. I quickly ran down from the stands and ran towards him, catching him before he could enter the locker rooms.

"JAMES!" I yelled out, before catching his arm. He looked very angry. Which was also _always _a bad thing. "Don't take it too hard on yourself." I told him quietly. I entwined my hand with his. He gave me a troubled look and ran his hand through his hair. I led him away from the locker rooms, a few feet away where we could talk without being seen. He didn't say a word on the way. "What's wrong?" I asked. "I mean, besides the obvious. You're never like this." I told him quietly. He sat down in the grass and I plopped down next to him, my hand still in his. He traced over the lines on my hand.

"I'm not sure how I'm supposed to feel right now." He told me, keeping his eyes on our hands. "I mean, I'm so _confused_ right now. I'm feeling so many things at once! Angry, sad, happy, anxious, annoyed, confused, jealous, ashamed. It's just _so_ complicated!" He told me, looking up at me. His gaze proved to be everything he was saying he was feeling. I found myself unable to break away.

"I get most of them…but why confused, jealous, anxious, and happy?" I asked. I was most confused about the happy.

"Jealous because I wanted to be the one taking the Cup from Dumbledore…it was envy as bad as when I saw you and Snape together. Anxious because the entire _school_ was counting on us…but now we just proved the Slytherins to be better. What are they going to think of us now?" He sighed. "And happy because we _did _accumulate enough points to win the House Cup for the first time since we came here, assuming no one loses too many points until then. And confused because I'm feeling _so much_ at once!" He sighed. "I mean, I'm glad how are chasers did, really proud of them, actually. And John, it was his first match, he was a _third year_! He was _so_ close! Especially against someone as experienced as Regulus, who already had a _way_ better broom! He put up _such_ a good fight! It's just…" His voice trailed off.

"James, you're giving yourself all the answers!" I told him. He looked at me, very confused. "Okay, so imagine you were John…how would you be feeling right now? That kid, a _third year_, felt _so_ much pressure this week because of the Cup, and like you said, he still did well! And you can pick that out even though you guys lost! You realized that the chasers did well, and the keeper managed to let in no more than eighteen goals! You've realized that, but James, you need to remember…you're the captain of a _team_. You're not the only one who feels this way." I told him, as lightly as I could. "You're captain for a _reason_. There are 6 people inside those changing rooms who need to realize this, too. And you're the only one that can help them with that. They _admire_ you James, they really do. You need to go over there and show them what being a captain _truly_ means, and you need to show yourself what being a captain truly means." I finished. Wow, that was an _amazing_ speech! He ran a hand through his hair.

"You're right…I mean of _course_ you are! But…that was an _amazing_ speech." He added. I smiled and shrugged.

"I try." He rolled his eyes and smiled, less stress in his eyes.

"You're right…" He repeated. "Let's go!" He said, dragging me up and pulling me towards the locker rooms again.

"Wait, why am I coming?" I asked.

"Because you made me realize this. And without you, who _knows_ where I'd be right now?" He said, stopping right in front of the changing rooms.

"I love you." I told him. He leaned down and kissed me.

"I love you, too." He whispered into my ear. We walked into the changing rooms and immediately, we could sense the tension and anguish in the air. They all looked up at us. "Okay guys, gather 'round here." He said, gesturing the area where they usually sit to discuss game plan. James pulled me to the front where he stands to talk to them all. We looked at all of them. They looked _really_ sad, and John probably looked the worst out of all of them. "I know you guys are upset…" James started. There was a murmur of agreement amongst all of them. "But you shouldn't be." He said. Their hands snapped up in confusion. "You all played _really_ well, and I'm _not_ just saying that." He told them all. "Chaser, well done, we scored 320 points! We didn't foul Slytherin _at all_, and we put ourselves in a great lead for the House Cup!" The Chasers shrugged and realized that everything he said was true.

"Beaters, amazing! We hardly had any Bludgers hit any of us! How many of you feel any pain?" He asked all of them. No one raised their hand. "See?" He said to the Beaters. They smiled a bit, and even the Chasers seemed happier. "And my Keeper, great,_ great_ job! I mean, the Slytherins only got the goal in _eighteen _times. You did _really_ well. Be proud, okay?" He told him. The Keeper nodded and sat up straighter. This was good, James was building the spirits back up, which is exactly what he needed to do. "And finally, John, you were _amazing_, definitely the best seeker we've seen here in a while. So what if you didn't catch the Snitch this time? You never failed to catch it in your previous matches…and you're only a _third_ year! You have three more chances at the Cup ahead of you, and I have no doubt in my mind you'll go on to do even greater things." John brightened up at this. "So good job all of you, and I'm probably going to see you next year. I like how we work together as a team, and I'm glad each of you are here with me, really. We've all gotten so close this year and I know, next year, we'll be back, and even better than before!" He finished. I was so glad that James managed to lighten up the spirits of all of them, after looking _so_ depressed when we first walked in! I hugged him tightly.

"That was great. You really made these guys happier." I told him. "James, you're always going to find light through a dark situation. That's just the person you are." I whispered. He pressed a kiss to my forehead. We pulled apart and the atmosphere in the room completely shifted. Everyone was happier, almost _jovial_. They were thanking James, and he had the biggest smile on his face that made my heart warm.

* * *

**A/N: This wasn't one of my best chapters...I know...But I just felt like putting this one in the story...And it turned out a lot better in my head. But, I hope you guys like it! **

**For those of you who've read "I Love My Job", one of my other oneshots, I've posted the sequel! And if you haven't read it, then you could still read this one, you don't have to read the first one to understand it!**

**Review please!**

**Until next Friday:**

Love,

**SAM :)  
**


	27. That's a First

Chapter 27: That's a First

"Just think about it! A year from now, we'll all be leaving. Into the real world! It's scary…but exciting at the same time!" Marlene told us all. It was breakfast, our last one before we went home for the holidays. Sirius, James, Peter, Remus, and Alex were with us, too.

"No! No! No! No! I don't want to think about that!" Sirius yelled, spraying me and James with food in the process.

"Sirius, that's gross!" I said, wiping his spit off my face.

"Doesn't matter. Today, we'll have _fun_. We can remember all the sentimental crap _next year_, when we're _actually_ leaving, okay?" He told us all. We nodded, and he sat back down. "Good." An awkward silence came over us. We all stared at each other. "Okay, this is boring!" Sirius yelled and pouted. I rolled my eyes.

"Okay, then what do you want to do, Padfoot?" Peter asked. Sirius thought for a moment.

"Well, we've thought of the _you-know-what_…" He told Remus, James, and Peter, obviously trying to keep in secretive.

"Sirius, we," I gestured Alex, Marlene, and myself, "Know what you're talking about. The end-of-year-"

"DON'T SAY IT OUT LOUD!" Sirius yelled, looking around worriedly.

"Calm down! _Everyone_ know about this! We've done it for the last five years!" James reminded him, putting and arm around my waist. I moved closer and smiled up at him. He kissed my forehead and returned his attention towards his food again.

"Hi, Lily!" A voice said from behind me. I twisted my head around to see who it was. Amelia Bones, the head girl, was standing behind me. I got up from the seat.

"Hi, Amelia." I replied.

"Can I talk to you outside?" She asked, pointing her thumb towards the doors.

"Okay." I agreed, and looked down at James, so he knew where he was going. He smiled at me. Amelia and I walked out the Great Hall and stopped right outside of the doors.

"Now, you probably know what I want to talk to you about." She started. I tilted my head. I did? I shook my head.

"Honestly, I don't." I told her, shrugging my shoulders. Now, she looked confused.

"Oh, well, I would've thought, with me and Diggory leaving, someone would've told you…" She said. So this was about Head business. What did this have to do with me? Unless…was it possible? I felt a little glimmer of hope. Maybe she was about to tell me I was going to be Head Girl? But, that would be wishful thinking. There were plenty of girls in our year who were equally qualified. It wasn't a requirement to be a prefect before being a Head. It was just how things worked out. I would know, since I looked through these rules when I felt, in fourth year, that I _may_ not be prefect.

"So, I was prepared to tell you something else, but I first, I should probably tell you that you've been made Head Girl." She told me. I grinned.

"Really? That's _great_!" I shrieked. Finally! What I've been working for since _1__st_ year! Amelia laughed.

"Yeah, I don't see how you didn't see that coming. Dumbledore told me he had you for Head Girl since your 4th year!" She smiled. "So, I was going to say, well, good luck next year, first of all. Second, I have no idea who the Head Boy is, but there's a possibility it might be Potter," She winked and I blushed, "So keep your fingers crossed for that. And if it's anyone but Potter, he might murder them, because you're going to share a dorm with the Head Boy next year. It's something relatively new that they set up. It's really nice, like the Gryffindor tower, just smaller." She smiled, probably thinking of the memories in there. Then her face fell. "But on a more solemn note, next year, it'll be worse. Everything. You-Know-Who's power is steadily rising, Lily. People are getting scared. Many muggleborns aren't even coming back next year. Everyone in Hogwarts is worried about their relatives. And you're not only Head Girl because you're a good leader and you're smart. It's also because you're a good fighter. You stand up to Slytherins when they say bad things to you. You're a role model, Lily. And people are going to respect that. They're going to follow your example, and you're easily the best one out there." She told me encouragingly. I gave her a weak smile. That was a lot to think about.

"Thanks, Amelia." I replied earnestly. It was nice to have a good warning about this stuff. She put a hand on my shoulder.

"You'll be great, Lily, I just _know_ it!" She smiled.

"Thanks." I felt a mixture of excitement and anticipation for next year bubble up inside me.

"Uh, Amelia, if you're done, Dumbledore wanted to talk to you about something." Diggory said apprehensively, coming up from behind me. I almost laughed. We haven't spoken since that incident in the beginning of the year with James. Amelia left us in the Hall with a final wave. I was about to leave, too, but Diggory looked like he wanted to say something. "I-"

"WOAH!" James yelled. I looked over to him. He, Remus, Peter, Sirius, Marlene, and Alex seemed to be finished with breakfast. He strode over to us, anger clear on his face. "Where's Bones!" He demanded. Sirius snickered.

"Cool it, Prongs." He laughed.

"Oh, Merlin. I didn't take my pills this morning. I don't have the patience for jealous James!" Peter whined. Remus and Sirius laughed harder, which sent Marlene and Alex into an uncontrollable laughter, too. I rolled my eyes at them. James glared at them.

"Amelia_ just_ left because Diggory told her that Dumbledore needed to talk to her about something." I assured him. Diggory nodded vigorously. He was still afraid of James, especially after the Quidditch match, Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor won by over 200 points. James narrowed his eyes at Diggory.

"A likely story. It was _obviously_ just a ploy to get rid of Bones!" He told us all. Remus, Sirius, and Peter were on the ground because they were laughing so hard, and Marlene and Alex were clutching their stomachs, trying to contain their laughs. I was trying to hold it in, but failing, because a few giggles escaped my mouth. Diggory was just standing around awkwardly. "What are you all laughing at!" He demanded, which sent us all into complete laughter.

"We're laughing at _you_, James!" I told him, trying to regain my composure.

"WHY?" He demanded once more, making Diggory quiver a little.

"Because!" Marlene laughed, but was unable to continue.

"He has a girlfriend!" I finished, going into another fit of laughter. I could see James redden.

"What? When did this happen!" James asked, looking at Diggory questioningly. James was turning redder by the second. No one answered. "Oh, stop laughing!" He snapped, clearly embarrassed. It was a few seconds before I managed to contain myself again. "When did this happen?" He asked again, now looking at me. I smiled and held his hand.

"Last week, how did you not hear?" I asked. Sirius came up from behind us and lifted mine and James' entwined hands up.

"Because of this." He said, pointing down at our hands. James turned even redder.

"Anyway," I said, turning to Diggory, since he was feeling a bit awkward.

"Oh, guys?" Peter called out.

"We're going to be outside." Alex said.

"By the lake!" Marlene added.

"Okay!" James and I replied. I looked at Remus, and tried to gesture him with my eyes to take Sirius with them. He nodded.

"Padfoot, you're coming with us!" Remus told him, dragging him away by the arm.

"But-" Sirius tired to object, but Remus just dragged him away more forcefully.

"James, isn't there something you need to say?" I asked, turning to him expectantly.

"Yes, and that is that I must go with my friends. We all know they're going to kill themselves without me there!" He told me, making a weak attempt to escape. I glared at him. "But…" He tried to object. I glared at him more. "But…" He tried objecting again. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Fine…" he whimpered. He took a breath.

"Come on James, you're making this more dramatic than it has to be." I told him impatiently, longing to be outside.

"I'm sorry." He grumbled. I raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't quite hear you…what was that?" I asked.

"I'." He repeated, this time, louder, and looking Diggory in the eyes.

"Er…it's fine." Diggory replied, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. James nodded in acknowledgment. "Lily, I know you'll do great next year…so…uh, bye, I guess?" He said, sticking his hand out. James looked like he was about to say something, but thought better of it. Wise idea. I shook his hand, and he left with a final wave.

"What did he mean by you'll do great next year?" James asked. I smiled evilly. He looked at me. "You're Head Girl next year, aren't you?" He guessed. I nodded. His face split into a wide grin. He took my in his arms, lifted me up and spun me around. "Congrats!" I laughed.

"James," I squealed, "Put me-" He cut me off by kissing me, while he was still holding me up. I shrugged it off, and instead wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

"GET A BROOM CLOSET!" A voice yelled, followed by a chorus of laughter. At first, I thought it was Sirius, then I mentally reprimanded myself. Black. Well, the _other_ one. James and I broke apart and he put me down, arm still around my waist. We both landed our gaze on the origin of the voice. I was right. It was Black, Avery, and Snape. James rolled his eyes. They haven't left him alone since their win during the Quidditch Cup.

"Good morning!" James smiled cheerfully. I smiled and bit back laughter and their confused expressions. James side-glanced at me before continuing. "How did you sleep last night?" He asked politely. They looked at each other, wondering where he was going with this. Of course, I knew where he was going. Before they could retort, James continued. "Have any nightmares…girls dumping you, parents yelling at you, You-Know-Who took away your Mark, Dumbledore was named Minister, or, oh, this one's probably the worst: you got placed in Hufflepuff!" James counted off. They looked absolutely livid by now.

"You can make fun of us all you want, it won't do anything! We still won the Quidditch Cup!" Avery retorted, finally speaking up. I rolled my eyes.

"Please," James scoffed, "You can't hold our loss over our heads forever! Just until next year. When we beat you!" The three of them just laughed. This was getting boring. They were only _talking_. Oh my Merlin, I did _not_ just think that, did I? Sirius was having a bad influence on me. Finally, they changed the subject to their favorite topic: Me.

"And you two, how long's it been, a year?" Black asked.

"Yes, the day after tomorrow, actually. Very polite of you to ask." James replied promptly. It only struck me now how ironic and sarcastic this conversation was. But yes, the day after tomorrow was our one-year anniversary. We were lucky enough to have it outside of school. James wanted to _actually_ take me out. To a decent restaurant and everything. I glanced at Snape, and realized. _Tomorrow_ was the one-year anniversary of our friendship crumbling.

"Surprised you managed to keep each other around, the both of you." Snape started furiously. "You," He gestured towards me, "This one has a big head, and you," He gestured to James and I knew what was coming before he said it, "This one's a mudblood. I really don't get it. How about you two?" He asked Avery and Black. They just snickered.

"Don't call her that!" James barked. I had the craziest sensation of wanting to laugh. Sirius was _definitely_ being a bad influence on me.

"What are you going to do about that?" Snape asked challengingly. I decided it was time to push my new Sirius-ness out of my mind.

"Nothing. Neither of you will do anything." I told them firmly, sending warning glances in both directions.

"But Lily-flower, this was just getting interesting!" Sirius whined, coming out of no where. I blinked a few times to make sure he was really there, and not just a figment of my imagination, bring Sirius back.

"Oh man, you really are back! Just leave!" I told him, and only when it left my mouth did I realize just how crazy that sounded. I blushed. James and Sirius raised identical eyebrows at me.

"Mudblood's gone crazy!" Avery muttered to Regulus.

"SHUT UP!" James and Sirius yelled in unison. They brought their wands out a pointed it at Avery.

"Braver now that the blood-traitor's here, aren't you?" Snape sneered.

"Please! Like you would've said anything if these two weren't here!" James replied, equally nastily.

"Yes, none of us would've done anything if the other two hadn't been here. Now that we've established that, why don't we _not_ attack each other?" I suggested, hoping it came out bolder than it sounded in my head.

"Aw, do we have to? I _just_ got here!" Sirius whined.

"Trust me; you've been here _much_ longer than that!" I muttered, but apparently louder than I thought, since I had five pairs of eyes looking at me quizzically.

"What?" James clarified. "Are you okay? Are you feeling sick?" He asked, putting a hand to my forehead. I rolled my eyes, took his hand off my forehead, and held it in mine.

"I'm not feeling _sick_. It's just that I've been thinking like _him_," I said, gesturing to Sirius, "Since this morning. It's driving me crazy."

"I tend to do that to the female population!" Sirius grinned and winked at me.

"Yeah, female population _minus_ Lily." James told him protectively.

"Oh yeah? Then why'd she blush?" Sirius challenged. I could feel all five of their gazes on me. James inspected my cheeks, causing me to turn even redder.

"No! Me looking at her made her blush, _obviously_!" James told him. Sirius snorted.

"Please! You with your geek glasses and your mediocre hair! _I_ made her blush!" Sirius told him defiantly. James shook his head.

"_I'm_ going out with her. Obviously, it was _me_!" He argued back.

"Now guys, I'd honestly _love_ to sit here, and watch you argue about who made me blush, but this is our last day here. That's not happening. Maybe some other day, okay?" I promised. "Now why don't we leave?" I suggested. They looked at each other and nodded.

"Sure." They replied in unison. We turned around and were about to leave, but the Slytherins seemed disappointed that their entertainment was going.

"Where d'you think you're going?" Avery sneered. Sirius turned around.

"We're leaving?" He told them, tilting his head a little.

"Oh, no you're not." He told us, taking a step forward. I rolled my eyes.

"Shut up!" I snapped. I took James' hand, and dragged Sirius away from them.

"Don't tell me what to do, _Mudblood_!" Avery screamed after us. I stopped in my tracks. James gave me a concerned look. I turned around, quickly making sure no teachers were around. I pulled out my wand and pointed it at him.

"_Silencio!_" I said, and the silencing spell hit him. His nostrils flared and he was turning redder with anger by the second. I rolled my eyes and left with Sirius in James staring after me in shock.

"That." James started, catching up to me.

"Was awesome!" Sirius yelled appreciatively.

"Don't get used to it. Starting next year, I'm going to be Head Girl." I told him, leading them outside. "I can't go around doing that."

"You can take off points, though!" Sirius said excitedly.

"I can do that now…remember, prefect?" I reminded him.

"Then why don't you use _the power_?" Sirius asked. I rolled my eyes.

"They'll fall out of your head one day…" I heard James mutter.

"Shut up." I said, hitting his chest. He caught my hand and kissed it.

"I love you." He said, gazing into my eyes in the way that made me melt.

"I love you, too." I replied, hoping it sounded more coherent than I thought it did.

"Guys…you're making me sick. Your anniversary is in _two_ days. Save it?" Sirius begged. James and I laughed.

"Okay, okay." We said together. Sirius looked at us weird.

"You guys are doing that _way_ too often." He muttered. He shook his head and continued walking towards the tree where Remus and Peter were.

"Doing what?" James and I asked simultaneously. "Oh. That!" We said together, again. The three of us burst out laughing, causing Remus and Peter to stare at us in confusion as we approached them.

"Should I ask?" Remus asked cautiously.

"Oh it's nothing, just Lily-flower and Prongs happen to be able to read each other's minds and say things at the same time." Sirius replied. "Soon they'll be finishing each other's sentences!"

"Good. Maybe some sense'll actually come out of his mouth!" Remus replied, actually looking kind of relieved.

"Or maybe Lily will start to talk like Prongs!" Peter countered, and Sirius nodded in agreement.

"Not in this lifetime!" I scoffed.

"Hey! Nothing bad comes out of my mouth!" James protested. The other three Marauders burst out laughing.

"Prongs, since we met you all those years ago, this is the break down of whatever comes out of your mouth: 50% Lily, 30% Quidditch, 15% pranks, 5 % other." Sirius counted off.

"And that other usually revolves around Slytherins and Professor McGonagall. Rarely class work." Remus clarified. I laughed.

"HEY! Prongs, Minnie is _mine_!" Sirius said. James just ignored him.

"I don't talk _that_ much about Lily!" James said defensively. The other three Marauders burst out laughing again, but this time, Peter and Sirius were completely doubled over and Remus was crying. James glared at them in annoyance as he turned redder. "I _don't_!" He insisted, but that just caused them to laugh even more. He turned to me. "I seriously don't."

"Your red face does not concur with that statement." I told him, before bursting out into laughter myself.

* * *

"Guys, seriously? It's been like _hours_ and you're _still_ laughing about that?" James pouted. We were at the end-of-term feast. And yes, Remus, Peter, Sirius and I still burst out into random laughter over it.

"But it's _so_ funny!" Sirius cried for the fifth time today. I stopped laughing enough to face him.

"It's okay…I think it's cute." I smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"FINALLY!" Marlene yelled out. "Someone who calmed down enough to tell us," She gestured to herself and Alex, "why you're laughing!" She said in relief. The other three Marauders and I tried to tell her, but ended up laughing too much to finish.

"Okay, I'm going to try not to laugh this time. So Sirius said that 50% of what comes out of James' mouth is something about me, 30% is about Quidditch, 15% is pranks, and 5% is other. And then James was like, 'oh I don't talk about Lily that much!'" I let out a small giggle, "and then those three burst out laughing," I gestured to Remus, Peter, and Sirius, who managed to stop laughing for long enough to listen, "and then he started to turn _really_ red." I finished. Marlene just stared between me, Remus, Sirius, and Peter.

"Right." She said, still not understanding.

"You had to be there." Sirius said, puffing out his chest.

"Dumbledore just drank his pumpkin juice. We should start." Peter said suddenly. They looked at each other and nodded. Sirius was fishing in his pockets. He glanced in my direction and tilted his head. James looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding his head. Sirius crinkled his nose and bit his lip, but nodded.

"What just happened?" Marlene whispered to me.

"I think Sirius was nervous that we'd see the prank and then James decided it'd be fine since we'll end up seeing anyway, and then Sirius just agreed." I whispered back. She raised her eyebrow in amusement.

"You know them _way_ too well." She shook her head.

"Yes, that was a perfect distraction, nice Marlene!" James smiled. I turned back around to face the Marauders and they were wearing identical smirks.

"You're welcome? Why don't you just get on with it? Dumbledore's patiently waiting." Marlene told them, jerking her thumb in Dumbledore's direction. He was happily looking towards the Marauders as she mentioned.

"1…2…3…NOW!" James whispered to the other three. At the 'NOW', they raised their wands above their heads and pointed them above the ceiling. Remus was making weird swishy movements while talking quickly under his breath, Sirius and Peter were moving their wands in straight lines while muttering other things under his breath and James was shooting spells all over the place. Soon, ribbons covered the entire area above the Great Hall, though not quite reaching the ceiling. The ones near the Slytherin table were black, the ones near the Hufflepuffs were Yellow, the Ravenclaws blue and the Gryffindors Red. Along the ribbons were words like 'Marauders rule' and 'Prongs, Padfoot, Moony, Wormtail'. This wasn't much of a prank, rather a decoration.

But then, I realized the _real_ reason for the ribbons. They were a distraction. Suddenly, the treacle tart on every table came alive…even the ones on the staff table. At the Slytherin table, they were being rather nasty, throwing themselves at the students and biting the students' ears. At the Staff Table, where most teachers were trying to catch the Treacle Tart, they were teasingly running around. There was one that approached Dumbledore, and promptly threw itself in his face. I looked behind me towards James, and I saw them nod at once. With a few swishes of their wands, everything disappeared and the entire Great Hall went silent. There was a loud BANG and above us formed the words, "Presented to you by the Marauders: Moony, Prongs, Wormtail, and Padfoot." There was a stag, a rat, a wolf, and a dog next to each of their names. On top of the stag was a lily. I turned to James and smiled. He gave me a quick kiss on the lips before waving his wand over his head, along with the other three, and making the words and animals disappear.

"Yes, once again, thank you gentlemen for that wonderful display of Magic!" Dumbledore started, and the Great Hall burst into applause. Once it died down, it continued. "Now, the house cup." The torches automatically dimmed. "In fourth place, Hufflepuff with 300 points!" There was little applause. "In third, Ravenclaw with 350 points!" A few more people politely clapped. "In second place, Slytherin with 430 points!" The Slytherins didn't look very happy, but clapped nonetheless, "And finally, for the first time in 5 house cups, Gryffindor in first, with 440 points!" Dumbledore finished, with most Gryffindors screaming and hugging their friends.

"We couldn't have done it without you, mate." Sirius said, clapping James on the back. "It was all of the Quidditch Cup points." James smiled.

"And before I let you all go, I'd like to say goodbye to our Seventh Years," I felt a weird sensation in my stomach, knowing that would be me next year, "And our Head Boy and Head Girl, Amos Diggory and Amelia Bones, thank you for your service here!" Dumbledore said, looking at the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables respectively. "And finally," Dumbledore started, and immediately, everyone got quiet because of his unusually grave tone. I knew what was coming. "I warn you all, that darkness is coming ahead. Be careful."

* * *

**A/N: I hope you guys liked that chapter!  
I apologize for any spelling/grammar/etc. mistakes in this one. I can't seem to read well at all today and there might have been a few mistakes I missed. **

**Thank you to all of you who've been reviewing/favoriting/alerting! I REALLY APPRECIATE IT! :D**

**Until next friday,**

**Love,**

**SAM :)  
**


	28. One Year

Chapter 28: One Year

I looked at myself in my full-length mirror again. I still couldn't believe it. I was torn between being happy about looking so nice and promising myself that I'd never _ever_ allow my mum do this to me again.

I was wearing a light blue summer dress and my mum tied my hair up, a few curly strands framing my face. She did my makeup a bit more than I'd like: Eye shadow, blush, lip gloss, mascara, and eyeliner. A knock came at my door.

"Lily, can I come in?" My mum's soft voice came from through the door.

"Yeah!" I called back, quickly glancing at myself again before returning my eyes to the door. My mum walked in and she smiled once she saw me.

"You look beautiful, honey. James won't know what hit him!" She squealed as she looked over my appearance once more, probably to make sure everything was perfect. She continued when I didn't respond, "I knew he was going to last when you first introduced him to us." She said, a smile tugging at her lips. She picked up the letter on my bed. "And he _is_ really sweet, and nice, and your father and I have no doubt in our minds that he would ever hurt you." She paused for a moment, keeping her eyes on the letter. "Do you remember what I asked you about, right before he came to take you to meet his parents?" She asked, abruptly turning to me.

"What?" I asked quietly, mostly to myself. She looked uncomfortable for a moment.

"Try to remember." She told me delicately. My mind was swarming to the conversations of that day, and suddenly, I remembered. My face probably showed I remembered, since she gave me a weak smile. "I hope your answer still stands, and really, if it hasn't, tell me. I won't tell your father." She promised. "And, remember I did have two kids." She added with a smile. I raised an eyebrow and rolled my eyes.

"Yes, the answer still stands. Although, I'm not as horrified as before…I mean we were only dating for what, a _month_, by that time? I mean it's been a year, and seeing as we've both turned seventeen this year, I guess the prospect of us doing…_it_ would make more sense." I told her, crinkling my nose a bit. She smiled at me. She put the letter back down on the bed and walked back to the door.

"Okay, just checking. Nice to know you're still a flower, too. But, I do want it to happen _some_ time. I _would_ like grandchildren." She laughed as she calmly walked out the door before I could understand what she said or retaliate. I shook my head as I walked over to the letter she just put down. Normally, mothers aren't _supposed_ to want to be grandmothers! And they're _definitely_ not supposed to encourage their daughters to have sex with their boyfriends! I sighed and picked up the letter and re-read it.

_Dear Lily,_

_Happy Anniversary! I'd include a bunch of sappy stuff, but Padfoot says I should do it in person. So when we go for our date tonight (Seven o'clock), you'll hear it all. I'll see you tonight!_

_ Love,_

_ James_

I smiled, remembering that this morning, just as I was finishing up my letter to him, his owl came to me.

"Lily! What are you waiting for?" Mum's voice came from downstairs. I rolled my eyes. She seemed more excited about the date than I was. I grabbed my shoes, and went downstairs. "You're wearing _those_ shoes?" Mum asked, eyeing the black, sequined flats with disgust. I nodded stubbornly.

"And there's nothing you can say or do that will convince me otherwise." I added defiantly. She sighed, recognizing defeat.

"Fine. But hurry up. He'll be here _any_ minute!" She told me. I slipped on the shoes just as the clock struck seven, and then the bell rang. Of course he would. "He's here!" My mum squealed.

"Honey, _Lily's_ going on the date, _not_ you." My dad told her teasingly, coming in from the kitchen. Finally! Someone who agreed with me! My heartbeat quickened as I went to go open the door. I took a breath and opened the door.

James was standing there, looking a little nervous, but very red in the face. His hand was halfway to his hair, and when my eyes met his, his hands dropped back to his sides. Looking quickly over him, he was wearing a nice blue dress shirt (How did we manage to wear the same color?), tucked into black pants. His shoes were pretty fancy, and his hair was unmanageable as ever.

"Will you guys stop _staring_ and just hug each other already?" My dad's impatient voice came from inside. I could feel my face grow hot, and James' face went even redder. I quickly stepped forward and hugged him.

"You look beautiful." He whispered to me and I blushed even more. As he wrapped his arms around my waist, I inhaled and smelled something new.

"Thanks…and are you wearing _cologne_?" I whispered in his ear. I pulled back a little so I could see his face. He was blushing. He nodded.

"Do you like it?" He asked. I inhaled again. I could get used to this…

"Yeah." I told him, and he smiled. "But, don't do it again. I like your…natural scent better." I said, inhaling once more. He smelled _so_ good.

"My _natural_ scent?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow. I nodded.

"Yeah. Like your scent. That's like…you. You can't smell it, since you're around it so often, but everyone else can." I tried explaining. "Did you ever smell a scent on me that wasn't my shampoo?" I asked. He nodded. "That would be _my_ natural scent; I don't wear perfume."

"Ohh…" He said, comprehending what I was saying, gazing into my eyes in the way that made me melt. I could feel another blush creeping up.

"Honestly guys, it's like you're in your own world there! We're still here, you know!" My dad complained. I laughed.

"Right." James said as we let go of each other and turned back to my parents, red in the face.

"Would you be okay with taking a picture?" Mum asked hopefully.

"No, I think you've embarrassed me enough for one night." I shook my head, looking pointedly at my dad. Her face fell.

"Fine. Anyway, how're you guys going to get there?" She asked, excitement creeping back up her face.

"Apparition." I answered as James nodded.

"But you can't exactly apparate into the street!" My dad pointed out.

"That's true." I crinkled my nose. I turned to James. "What _are_ we going to do about that?" I asked. He smiled.

"Don't worry about it. I've got it all under control." James smiled.

"Uh, well, we're going to go. You guys have fun? And have her home by 11. Or I will come find you." My dad promised James with a glare.

"Yes, sir!" James promptly responded. They closed the door, with my dad glaring warningly at James one more time, and left me and James at the door. I looked towards James, and he was still staring at the door.

"Anytime you're ready?" I said, pulling him out of his reverie.

"Uh, right! Okay. Take my hand." He said, holding it out.

"Yes, that is how you side-along apparate." I snickered. He stuck his tongue out at me.

"Alright. Here we go. Ready?" He asked. I responded by holding on to his arm tighter. I didn't particularly like the feeling of apparating. Then again, no one really did. I felt the inside of my body being sucked in and after a hard wind, being spat out again. My feet hit the ground, and James' hold on me prevented me from falling down.

I looked around. There was old furniture everywhere, and dust compiling in the corners of the room. There was a single, dusty bed in the middle of the room and the door, halfway open, was wooden and looked ancient. I could hear muffled voices coming from underneath us and some music. But the design of the place was vaguely familiar.

"Are we in the Leaky Cauldron?" I asked, the realization suddenly hitting me.

"Yeah. Tom let me apparate directly in here. He won't be surprised to see us." James said, leading me out of the old room. We walked down the stairs and the voices and music started to get louder. The people downstairs came into view and we saw many middle-aged men sitting around tables, drinking, talking, playing card games, and few were dancing. We were careful not to walk through the middle of the room, since with our blue clothing, we would attract attention. As we walked to the bar, we saw a man who was motioning us over. "That's Tom." James whispered to me. I nodded. I'd seen him before here, since he was the owner of the place, but I never knew his name. Or his age. Sometimes he'd look over sixty years old, and others, he didn't look a day over thirty.

"James, m'boy! How good to see you again!" Tom yelled jovially. He enthusiastically shook James' hand.

"Nice to see you again, too, Tom. It's been a while." James nodded, untangling his hands from Toms'. "Well, it was nice to see you. Sirius might swing by with Remus and Peter later, okay? So we'll be going."

"Ah, the young Black. I'll look forward to seeing him. Have a good time." Tom added with a wink and a glance in my direction. James smiled and led me towards the door.

"He seems to like you guys a lot." I told James, looking up at him. "Then again, everyone does." I added under my breath. We left the Leaky Cauldron and the warm breeze hit us.

"You're right; Everyone does like us…well, _now_ everyone likes us. That wasn't exactly true a little over a year ago." James reminded me, giving me a pointed look.

"Hey, not my fault! You _were_ a downright jerk!" I huffed, but smiling nevertheless.

"Yeah, I was, wasn't I? It was rather fun…" He smiled nostalgically, probably remembering all the memories of our previous years. I raised an eyebrow at him. "I mean, of course life is _much_ better now, since we're going out." He added, turning a little bit red. I rolled my eyes and put an arm around his waist.

"It better be." I laughed. "Oh, is this it?" I asked as we approached a fairly small restaurant. It was very fancy, I could tell by the dressing of the people coming in and out of it.

"Yeah, what do you think?" He asked, bringing his hand up to his hair, but then brought it back down to his side, thinking better of it.

"It's nice, looks fancy." I commented, looking the place over again.

"Well of course, I made sure it was the fanciest place in London!"

"You realize we're not dressed that fancy for it?" I laughed, gesturing our clothing.

"Yeah, but we're teenagers. I don't think we're expected to dress very fancy." James pointed out.

"Nor are we expected to be able to go to a restaurant like this." I countered.

"You know, now that we're doing this, I realize how much I miss arguing with you." He laughed, holding the restaurant door open for me, and bowing slightly. I hit him on the head and walked through. "What was that for?" He demanded, rubbing the back of his head. I shrugged.

"Bowing like that? You were kind of just asking for it." I rolled my eyes. He childishly stuck his tongue back at me.

"You have reservations?" Some guy asked us in a thick French accent. I never knew the name for these people. They just stood there, and took you to your table. Did they even have a name?

"Yes, the name's Potter. _James_ Potter." James responded, pulling himself up to full height. He looked the guy straight in the eye and didn't even crack a smile. I stifled a giggle and tried to mimic James' emotionless yet sophisticated demeanor.

"Uh, right this way, sir and miss." The Guy said, confusion dipping in his voice to match his raised eyebrow. When he turned his back to us, James winked at me and then turned his expressionless face back on. The Guy led us to the back of the restaurant.

"Thank you, sir." James said monotonously, giving him a stiff nod. The Guy blinked once, and left. James and I burst out into fits of laughter the second he was out of earshot, earning us nasty stares from the couples around us. Noticing this, we quickly composed ourselves and sat down.

"'Potter. James Potter'?" I quoted questioningly. "How'd you know about _that_?" I demanded.

"I know my muggle-ness." He in what was supposed to be a nonchalant manner, folding his arms behind his head. I rolled my eyes and shook my head slightly.

"Can I take your order?" The waiter asked, eying James apprehensively. James quickly composed himself once more, sat up straighter, and raised his head slightly.

"Yes." He drawled out, opening up his menu. I did the same, and scanned over all the food items. None of it made sense. I looked up towards James, who, by the furrow in his eyebrows, had no idea what he was doing, either. "I'll have…this!" James said, pointing to an entry in the menu. I suspected he picked it randomly.

"And I'll have the same." I quickly added. "Oh, and two glasses of water, please."

"Yes, ma'am." The waiter said, flashing a smile in my direction and left.

"I don't like him." James automatically said, looking at the waiter in distaste.

"James, you can't hate every stranger that smiles at me."

"Well, of course not. If they're a girl, I have nothing to worry about."

"You don't know that." I smiled, giving him a mischievous wink. His expression distorted into one of disgust.

"Lily, if there's something you need to tell me, tell me _now_, we've been going out for a year, and honestly, I'd rather not walk in on you kissing a girl when we're married." James smirked, but then quickly wiped it off his face. "I…uh…mean…uh…if. Yeah, _if_." He quickly corrected as he turned red. I rolled my eyes.

"Save it, James. And, trust me, you'll _never_ see that image." I shuddered.

"Right. Uh." He coughed, still a bit flustered from his last remark. I giggled and he shot a glare at me.

"Anyway, you're coming to Alice's wedding with me, right?" I confirmed.

"Definitely. Wouldn't miss it. Especially since Fabian and Gideon'll be there." He grinned. "When is it?" He asked, the anticipation showing clearly in his eyes. He was excited not only for Fabian and Gideon, but a meeting with _THE_ Alastor Moody. He was one of the lead aurors, rounding up many Death Eaters and Death Eater supporters.

"It's in August." I replied. And I did have to contact Alice about bridesmaids' dresses, and all that. I just got lucky I wasn't around for Petunia's wedding planning.

"Good. Oh, and you remember how we talked about possible getting motorbikes?" James asked, a crooked smile appearing on his face.

"Mhm." I nodded, already not liking the thought. But, my adventurous side argued, that it might be fun.

"Great. We're getting them next week. Maybe I can get you a nice, sexy outfit to go with it?" He asked hopefully. I leaned forward and he did, too. I brought my lips close to his ear.

"Only in your wet dreams." I whispered, and pulled back. He didn't try to hide his disappointment.

* * *

"That food was pretty decent." James said contently, rubbing his stomach.

"Oh yeah. I didn't even know what I was eating, but it was _really_ good." I agreed.

"Oh, you owe me, you know?" James told me, stopping me in the middle of the empty street. I smirked.

"Money? Oh well-" James stopped me in my tracks.

"You know what I mean." James whispered stepping closer to me. He pulled me closer to him by my waist. He crashed his mouth to mine and didn't hesitate to start exploring the inside of my mouth. I responded, even though a bit delayed, as enthusiastically. I'd missed this. I reached up to wrap my arms around his neck and pulled his head closer. I pulled back a little and found myself staring at a pair of bright, hazel eyes. "I can't even describe how much I missed this." James whispered, looking over my swollen lips and then back to my eyes.

"Me too." I whispered, and then captured his mouth with mine once more. He ran his hands up and down my back. He trailed kisses from my mouth to along my jaw, which made me shudder slightly, and then down to my neck. I sighed contently as he trailed kisses back up to my mouth and kissed me once more before pulling back. He rested his forehead against mine, staring happily into my eyes.

* * *

**A/N: I haven't updated in FOREVER and I do have an explanation. ONE WORD: MIDTERMS. Yes. Those nasty exams that tend to terrorize the lives of people everywhere. But they're over and I will continue to update as normally :)**

**I hope you guys liked this chapter, and I'm happy about all the favorites/reviews/alerts I'm getting! I really appreciate it!**

Until next Friday (Definitely),

**Love,**

**SAM :)  
**


	29. A Wild Ride

Chapter 29: A Wild Ride

"James, seriously?" I whined, ducking my head under the blanket-cocoon I made for myself. It was _nine_ in the bloody morning. Over summer. You don't just wake people up at this time! "How'd you even get _in_ here?" I whined again, hoping to test his nerves enough so he'd leave. But the chance of that happening was the same as McGonagall suddenly stop teaching and start dancing.

"Your mum let me come up here. But what about the surprise I was telling you about?" He reminded me, sitting down next to me on my bed.

"I didn't think it'd involve such ungodly hours!" I whined once more.

"You know, if you plan on driving me out of your room by whining, it's not going to work. I happen to think it's cute." He told me smugly. I groaned loudly. How did he know my plan? He took my pillow from underneath my head, and my head hit the mattress. I heard the pillow drop to the floor with a soft _thud_. I groaned even loader. "You sound like a woman in labor." He snickered. I raised my head slightly and glared. He winced. "You know, woman in labor are… quite… attractive." He coughed. I shook my head and lazily dropped it back down on his lap. "Lils, come _on_." He tried once more, running his hand through my hair.

"Never fear! Sirius is here!" Sirius barked from the doorway. I let out my loudest groan yet. "Now Lily-flower, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were _unhappy_ to see…er…_hear_ me!" He laughed and strode across my room to sit on my bed, too.

"I don't remember inviting you two to sit here." I grumbled.

"I don't think I need an invitation to be on your bed, considering I'm your boyfriend." James pointed out.

"And as your boyfriend's best friend, I _also_ have rights to be on your bed, even if they're not very moral, if you know what I mean." Sirius said suggestively with a wink.

"Padfoot, that's _gross_." James said, pausing stroking my hair in mid-stroke. James quickly moved away from him, and brought me along in the process. He laid down more horizontally so I had access to his stomach. I moved my head there and moved closer to him.

"Mm…that's better…" I mumbled into his stomach. James' body vibrated as he laughed.

"Padfoot, you know what to do." James instructed, his body vibrating once more. I felt Sirius pull at my cocoon.

"Nooooo…." I moaned, trying to pull it closer. He pulled harder. "Bleeehhhhhh." I moaned once more. "I'll get up, I'll get up! Give me a minute, will you?" I whined once more. They were silent for a while, and I had a feeling they were conversing silently. My suspicions were soon confirmed.

"Fine." Sirius said, rising off my bed. "Hurry up. I don't want to come back up here and see you guys ah…doing _it_." Sirius snickered, and quickly left my room before I could register what he said.

"Take your time. You have er… a minute, I'll give you?" James offered. I nodded as best as I could. I let a few moments pass before I grudgingly pushed myself out of my cocoon and sat up. The first thing I saw was James' amused expression. I raised an eyebrow, silently asking what he was smiling all weirdly about. "You haven't realized what you're wearing yet." He told me, glancing down from my eyes. I looked down, and saw myself wearing the shortest shorts I had, and my tank top was going low, and the hem of it was riding up. I blushed furiously.

"You _really_ shouldn't be here." I told him, trying to pull my shirt back down and up at the same time.

"Yeah, you're right." He nodded understandingly and got up to leave. That was a bit unexpected. My face must've shown it because he asked, "Why so surprised?" I shrugged.

"I didn't expect you to leave without a fight or something." I said, trying to keep my face straight, but the corners of my mouth were tugging up. He rolled his eyes.

"You need to remember, I'm in _your_ house. Your dad's _downstairs_." He emphasized, pointing to the ground.

"Right." I said, only just remembering. I got up off my bed and pushed him out the door. "I'll be down in twenty minutes. Don't let Sirius spend too much time with my mum. She already loves you too much." I muttered under my breath.

"You can never love a Potter too much, number one rule, my dad always said." James smirked. I rolled my eyes and shut the door in his face.

After twenty minutes, I was completely showered and ready to go wherever James and Sirius wanted to take me. I skipped downstairs and entered the kitchen. My dad was talking to James and my mum was talking animatedly with Sirius. I bit back a groan.

"Lily, we already have your breakfast here, don't worry, it's nice and warm." Dad said, waving me over to a seat next to him.

"Thanks." I smiled, sitting down. Mum pushed me the plate with my food. It was supposed to be a bread and egg sandwich. But everything was burnt. I looked up. They were all staring at me with unreadable expressions. I picked up the bread. "Is this some kind of joke?" I demanded.

"No, Lils, that's just Prongs' cooking." Sirius said, cracking a wide smile. My mum and dad laughed. I looked down at the plate, and then back up at James.

"You're _never_ going to cook for me again, okay?" I laughed. He nodded in agreement.

"Here you go." Mum said, passing me another plate, this time with clearly better cooked bread and egg.

"Who made _this_ one?" I asked, picking it up.

"Sirius." Mum answered, smiling at Sirius proudly. I resisted the temptation to roll my eyes.

"Of course." I muttered under my breath before taking a bite out of it.

* * *

"Okay, are you ready?" James asked dramatically.

"For the awesomest sight you've ever seen?" Sirius continued.

"It will amaze you."

"It will make your heart stop!"

"It will give you such a rush!"

"It will make you puke!" Sirius added. I rolled my eyes.

"Guys. Cut the drama. Just show me." I told them, anticipation building in me. They waved their wands and two motorcycles slowly became visible. "Woah." I gasped softly. "How…where…when…what…?" I stammered, keeping my eyes glued to the two motorcycles. They were definitely good-looking pieces of equipment. It was all metallic and black. The wheels, larger than the seats, were white from my point of view, but the part that was going to touch the ground was black. Right on the front was a huge light. Under the shiny silver handles was a system of intricate metal…stuff. It was probably an engine.

"Nice, eh?" Sirius smiled, admiring the motorcycles, too. "They're 1977 Harley Davidson. The newest one." He said proudly. Harley Davidson? It must be pretty good then, because even _I_, the last person to care about automobiles, knew the company.

"They were a tad expensive, but with a little sweet-talking and promise for advertisement, we managed to drive down the price." James smiled, throwing an arm around my shoulder.

"Prongsie-wongsie was upset he couldn't get you a skimpy black outfit to go with it!" Sirius exclaimed, reaching over me to ruffle James' hair. James stuck his tongue out at Sirius, who stuck it out right back.

"And just when I was beginning to think you guys were growing up." I muttered, walking closer to the motorcycles.

"Us? Growing up? We aren't growing up, Lily-flower. James has simply deflated his head considerably and, well, I just got more attractive!" Sirius said, flashing me a smile. I rolled my eyes.

"So are we going to ride it or what?" I asked, gesturing the one closest to me.

"I thought you'd never ask." They said in unison. James joined me at the motorcycle I was standing in front of, and Sirius took the other one. James handed me a helmet and sat down, patting the seat behind him. I fastened my helmet on and sat down behind him.

"Are you ready to get out of this alleyway, and to the rest of the world?" Sirius asked, smiling like an idiot. They were going to kill us if we went riding through Diagon Alley.

"Let's do it." I responded almost immediately, the adventurous side of me taking control. Sirius and James revved the engine and the motorcycle made a loud, gargling sound. The motorcycle started shaking and I held on to the sides of my seat.

"Now Lily, it's no fun if you hold on to the sides of the seat, you've got to hold on to _me_." James smiled, twisting his neck around to face me. I crinkled my nose. He shrugged and turned to face forward again. Suddenly, the motorcycle started moving. I screamed, and moved my arms to James' torso.

"Happy now?" I asked loudly, trying to be heard over the loud engine.

"Almost." He smirked, and I raised an eyebrow. Suddenly, we shot forward, and I my heard beat sped up. We drove out into the open and I felt the wind push my hair behind me. The people went by so quickly, I didn't know how James was driving this thing. I wrapped my arms around James much tighter. "_Now_ I'm happy." James yelled to me. I rolled my eyes, even though he probably couldn't see.

"THIS IS AWESOME!" Sirius bellowed, and I wasn't sure how we could still hear him. I moved closer to James and rested my chin on his shoulder, so I could see where he was driving. He wasn't doing a bad job of avoiding people and the buildings around us. I wasn't sure if it was just James' driving skill or the motorcycle, or both. "READY, MATE?" Sirius asked loudly. James looked at Sirius and nodded. I wanted to ask what they were going to do, but they probably wouldn't tell me anyway. James lifted one of his hands from the wheel.

"What are you _doing_?" I demanded. He ignored me and pushed a button that I hadn't seen before. It was right below the steering wheel. I felt a weird feeling pass through me, and when I looked down, I found I couldn't see myself. I couldn't see James, but I knew he was still there since I could feel my arms still wrapped around him. And then suddenly, I felt myself being lifted off the ground, going up horizontally. My hair was flying wildly behind me, some strands hitting my face. I looked around us and we were getting farther and farther away from the ground. The people and buildings were getting smaller and smaller. "James, are we _flying_?" I gasped into his ear.

"Yeah, we are." he said. "Isn't this great?" He asked. I nodded into his shoulder and rested my head more comfortably on him.

"This is relaxing." I smiled.

"THIS IS AWESOME!" Sirius yelled from next to us.

"We know!" James and I responded in unison.

"Why don't we make this a bit more interesting?" James asked mischievously.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Come closer." He told me.

"How am I supposed to do that?" I asked. My arms were already wrapped around him.

"Legs. Hold on to me as tight as you can." He instructed. I rolled my eyes. Of course.

Since our legs were already pressed up against each other, I knew where they were, so I just lifted my legs up and draped them over his thighs.

"I should have asked you to do this a _long_ time ago." He said in a deep, hoarse voice. I hit him on the shoulder.

"Prat."

"No, no, this does have a meaning." He assured me. I felt the sensation of going up vertically, in a curve and screamed. What was he _doing_? I felt the blood rush to my head and suddenly, we going back down again.

"James, what did you _do_?" I squealed, holding on to him.

"Loop-de-loop. Wasn't that _awesome_?" He asked me excitedly. I found myself nodding along. "Oh no." He said suddenly.

"What happened?" I asked.

"We're running out of fuel. We can't stay invisible much longer." He said. "We need to find Padfoot. PADFOOT! WHERE ARE YOU!" James yelled out, and I winced. He yelled in my ears.

"RIGHT HERE!" Sirius bellowed from almost right next to us. I jumped up in surprise.

"Don't do that!" I admonished the both of them.

"We're running out of fuel for our invisibility. We need to get back to Diagon Alley." James told him.

"Okay, we haven't gone very far. We'll just turn around and go downwards, okay?" Sirius replied.

"But how do we know we're not going to crash into you? We can't see each other." I reminded both of them. It felt weird talking to air.

"There's a pawprint on the front and back of the motorcycle that doesn't disappear. It's all good. Prongs has a lily on his." Sirius said, and I could hear in his voice that he was smirking.

"You're lucky you're invisible for now." James growled.

"That's good and all, but I'm going down. See you there!" Sirius laughed. As James turned around our motorcycle, I could see Sirius' pawprint in mid-air, and then it was in front of us, getting farther and farther away.

"Hold on." James said, before zooming after Sirius. We made sure to keep a distance from him, so we wouldn't accidentally knock into him. Soon, I could see the tall Ministry and Gringotts buildings as we approached Diagon Alley. Next, I saw the small wizards and wizards walking around the stores.

"Where are we landing?" I asked James.

"There's a spot near that fountain thing over there where we can land." He said, and I looked for the 'Fountain-thing'. It was, as he said, a good spot where we could land, since there weren't any people in that general area. "Padfoot, we're landing near the fountain!" James called out to Sirius, who was riding right next to us.

"Yeah. I'm going down there with you. D'you guys want to land first?" Sirius offered.

"Sure. We'll go." James responded as I felt him take the bike downwards, and the fountain came more into view. My hair was pushed behind me once more, and the wind was rushing into my face. I felt the odd sensation pass through me once more and I could see James and myself once more. We hit the ground with a loud _thud_. I took my legs off his thighs and I heard him groan softly as he pulled the motorcycle to a stop. I hit him on the side of the head before taking a look around. I first spotted Sirius, who was stopped right next to us, and then the surprised faces of the few people around us.

"Why don't we go back into that alleyway?" I suggested. They nodded in agreement before starting the engine once more. I held on to James as he rocketed forward, swerving through the people and buildings. "Merlin's left sock watch out!" I scolded as he narrowly missed an older-aged witch. He turned into the alleyway we were in before, and then halted to a stop, making me crash into him. "And just when I began to think you were getting good at driving." I muttered.

"Merlin's left sock?" He asked, raising an amused eyebrow.

"I don't know, it was the first thing that came to mind." I shrugged. He turned the engine off and I took my helmet off my head, hoping my hair wasn't _too_ messed up. I tried patting it down as I got up off the motorcycle. "That was fun and all, but now my hair's all messed up." I complained.

"Stop being such a _girl_." Sirius retorted with a scoff.

"I don't think James would exactly appreciate it if I stopped being a girl, Sirius." I reminded him, jerking my thumb in James' direction. We turned to look at him and he suddenly looked up from the motorcycle.

"Uh, what?" He asked, looking completely confused.

"Would you appreciate it if I suddenly stopped being a girl?" I asked him. James looked even more confused for a moment, before deciding it was just better to answer and not ask any questions.

"No, I wouldn't." James agreed.

"Told you!" I said to Sirius with a smug grin.

"Oh, shut up!" Sirius pouted.

"How'd you get the motorcycles invisible anyway?" I asked, circling the two bikes.

"Lily-flower, don't underestimate our abilities! You wound me!" Sirius said dramatically, putting a hand over his heart. James snickered.

"You do have a good point." I agreed. "But what about flying?" I pointed out. That had to be difficult.

"We talked to broomstick specialists and we read a few books." James shrugged. I gasped.

"Sirius read a _book_?" I faked surprise.

"Ha ha." Sirius laughed sarcastically. "It was for a good cause." He defended.

"More like _illegal_." I said under my breath.

"Yeah, that's true. We should probably get them out of here." James agreed. "Misty?" He called out. The little house elf from Hogwarts appeared in front of us, wearing a huge grin of delight.

"Master James! Master Sirius! Miss Evans!" Misty squealed in delight. I laughed.

"Hi, Misty!" We all said in unison.

"Misty, do you think you can take these two motorcycles back to my house?" James asked. She nodded fervently.

"Of course! Of course!" She squeaked.

"And if you don't mind, my parents would like to talk to you again. They said they missed you." James smiled.

"Misty would love to talk to them!" Misty squealed, and I was momentarily worried she might faint from excitement. "Misty will go now!" She walked over to the motorcycles and touched them. She, along with the motorcycles, disappeared with a small _pop_!

"James," I said, only just realizing. "Do your parents know about this?" I asked slowly.

"Well, my mum, no. My dad was on board. He even helped us a little." James smiled proudly. I shook my head in disbelief.

"Of course." I rolled my eyes.

"Why don't we get some lunch?" Sirius suggested.

"Hungry already, Padfoot?" James joked. Sirius nodded vigorously and patted his stomach.

"It's been hours. Padfoot needs food." Sirius told us with a wide, begging, smile.

"Alright. Let's go!" I agreed.

"Look, the little mudblood thinks she's going somewhere!" A snide voice squealed in sadistic delight. I groaned. Not here, too. James and Sirius automatically moved closer to my sides and the three of us brought our wands out, stepping forward warily…

* * *

**A/N: So sorry for the 12 hour late update :( I fell asleep at my computer...at like 8:30 at night. It was weird, yes, but I was very exhausted. **

**Thank you all of you who reviewed/favorited/alerted! I'm thrilled with the feedback I've been getting lately! **

**Until next Friday,**

**Love,**

**SAM :)  
**


	30. Not Again

Chapter 30: Not Again

They all stepped out of the shadows in sync. It was Bellatrix, Avery, Lestrange, and Snape. It was kind of creepy.

"Mudblood, nice to meet you again." Bellatrix squealed with glee. I instinctively held up an arm in front of Sirius. It blocked him from doing anything rash. I knew I did the right thing when Sirius collided with my arm. "It's good to see you're all better. Quite the mess you were, the last time I saw you." She added, coming closer. James' jaw visibly tightened. I grabbed his hand so he wouldn't do anything, either. I seemed to be the only sane one here.

"It was your one-year anniversary the other day, was it not?" Avery asked, feigning interest.

"It was? How silly of me, I haven't bought you a gift!" Bellatrix squealed sarcastically.

"Leave them alone!" Sirius growled. He tried to advance, but I held him back with a hand.

"And my lovely cousin, how are you?" Bellatrix asked, a twisted smile forming on her face. Such a sarcastic little witch.

"Shut up." Sirius growled, stepping forward with his wand.

"Sirius, control yourself." I warned.

"And now you're letting the mudblood control you! My, my, what would your mother say?" Bellatrix sneered as she eyed me in disgust.

"STUPEFY!" Sirius yelled, pointing his wand at Bellatrix. I didn't stop to see if it hit her or not.

"Protego!" I yelled out, creating a barrier between us and the rest of them. Most of the spells rebounded around. I let out an exasperated sigh. Why did we have to choose an alleyway where no one would see us? We were just lucky it wasn't dark here! I put the barrier down and yelled, "Petrificus Totalus!" immediately, and I ended up hitting Lestrange.

I turned my head quickly and saw Avery with his wand pointing in my direction. His mouth moved slightly, and I swiftly moved to the right, while shooting a spell in his direction. It narrowly missed him and he shot another one back. I was just able to hold up my wand and say "Protego!" to deflect it. I staggered backwards a little, and then tried to shoot another spell at him. I missed again, because James knocked into me, trying to avoid Snape's spell. I pushed James out of the way just as Avery sent a spell in our direction.

"Thanks!" James yelled out, advancing towards Snape again. Both had identical expressions of contempt on their faces. Snape quickly lashed out and James only just avoided the spell. I turned around again, and found Avery was trying to attack me again. This time, I attacked quicker, and managed to get him to stagger backwards and almost fall as he tried to avoid the spell. I sent a non-verbal _Levicorpus_ at him, and he ended up dangling in mid air.

"Petrificus Totalus!" I said hurriedly, and his arms snapped to his sides, his mouth fixed in a grimace. I let him down on to the ground; I didn't want all the blood to rush to his head, that'd hurt him. I didn't want to hurt them, just stop them from hurting us.

I heard a loud, high-pitched squeal of delight. Bellatrix. It seemed she was having fun making Sirius dance around. I ran towards him to try to help him. It seemed Bellatrix's parents were teaching her a few things while she was at home for the last few months.

"Impedimenta!" I yelled, and it hit her, but she quickly regained her balance. It gave Sirius the opportunity to catch his breath. "Go help James. Leave this to me!" I instructed him. I knew Sirius would be upset with having to duel his family members, no matter how much he hated them.

"Oh, now we're going to have some fun!" Bellatrix squealed. Without warning, a bright blue light headed my way, and I threw myself to the side before it could hit me. She was throwing spell after spell at me, and that's when I realized, she knew non-verbal spells! But how would I stop her? I couldn't keep dodging forever! I'd have to catch her off guard. I'd have to do something she wouldn't expect. Sure she was better at magic than she was before, but she didn't have the experience. I dropped to the ground and rolled around. I propped myself up on my elbows and sent the leg-locking curse in her direction. The flow of spells stopped. I sighed in relief and did the full body bind on her.

"YOU BLOODY WANKER!" Sirius bellowed. I whipped my head around and I saw James doubled over and Sirius was trying to hold him up. My stomach dropped in pure fear and agony.

"JAMES!" I screamed. I ran towards him, but stopped halfway there. I turned my gaze towards Snape and started walking towards him. "You…_arsehole_. He hasn't done _anything_ to you in a year! Get over yourself, will you?" I screeched at him. Snape's eyes flashed, and I momentarily remembered that night when he first attacked me, and when James first saved me. I pointed my wand at him and went towards him again. He held up his wand at me, only before something flashed on his face…something similar to _fear_. He hadn't actually attacked me on purpose, ever. The night our friendship died, he was driven by anger. And then the little fiasco near the end of mine and James' first date, he'd meant to hit James, not _me_. He even helped me with that one, by getting the curse off of me!

"Don't come any closer." He growled. I lunged forward and instead of hexing him, I hit him the muggle way. I've been told I have a killer right hook. He staggered backwards, clutching his nose where I hit him.

"Take your 'friends' and get the hell out of here!" I screamed at him, pointing my wand at him this time.

"Lily…" Sirius whispered, and then touched my shoulder. I felt my feet being lifted off the ground, and my insides being pulled in, and then spat back out. My feet touched the ground again and I sighed in relief. Sirius apparated us away from them. We were now in an open field, with a tree behind us and grass surrounding us. Where, I had no idea.

"Are you okay?" I asked, turning towards them.

"Yeah, my stomach really hurts though." James muttered. Sirius let him sit down on the ground, back against the tree, and I kneeled down next to him. I reached down to lift up his shirt.

"Now Lily-flower, now's not exactly the time for that." Sirius joked. I glared. "Too early for jokes? Okay." He muttered, blushing slightly. I pushed James back a little as I lifted up his shirt. There was a huge, black and blue thing on his stomach.

"Sirius!" I gasped. Sirius joined me on the ground next to James.

"Shit." He muttered. "What are we going to do?" He asked me desperately.

"I think we'll have to go to St. Mungo's." I told him slowly, eyeing the black and blue thing.

"NO!" They screamed together. I looked up and met their worried gazes.

"We can't." James said simply, his eyes full of fear.

"His parents…already…" Sirius tried explaining. Oh. So that's what this was about. He didn't want his parents to know, since they were already dealing with their own…issues.

"Then what are we going to do?" I asked them both. They exchanged worried glances and looked away.

"I got it!" Sirius suddenly shouted. "Misty?" He called out. The little elf appeared in front of us with a _pop_.

"Master Sirius! You called Misty!" She squeaked. Then, she saw James' stomach. Her saucer-wide eyes went even larger than I thought was possible. "Master James! What happened?" She squealed, her large eyes watering, and my heart broke into two.

"Do you know anyone who can fix this, Misty? Please?" Sirius begged her. She thought for a moment before nodding slowly.

"Misty does know a very old elf." She said slowly. "Misty can go get him." She offered.

"YES! YES PLEASE!" Sirius and I yelled out together. She was looked a little alarmed before nodding again and apparating away with a small _pop_. Sirius and I let out a simultaneous sigh of relief.

"Wow, didn't know you guys loved me _that_ much." James smirked. I rolled my eyes.

"If you weren't already hurt, I'd hit you." I muttered and put my head on his shoulder.

"I wouldn't push it, mate. She gave ol'Snivelly quite a punch back there." Sirius told him, giving me an amused look. I crinkled my nose.

"We won't speak of it." I told them both stubbornly.

"Why not? That was _great_! You went _pssshhhh_," Sirius started dramatically, and waved his arms around, "and then he went _flying_!"

"Don't exaggerate!" I screeched, reaching over James to swat at Sirius. "He _did not_ go flying! He just went backwards!" I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Where's Misty?" James asked, rubbing at his stomach a bit. He abruptly stopped and started to poke it. Softly at first, and then harder with each progressive poke. I grabbed his hand at the tenth one.

"Why?" I demanded, shaking my head a bit. He shrugged.

"Prongs, you really need to get over that impulse of poking your injuries." Sirius smiled. "He's been doing that for as long as I can remember." He told me.

"What did he hit you with?" I asked James, looking down at his stomach once more.

"I don't know. But it doesn't feel weird or anything…it feels like an ordinary bruise. Just _larger_." James said, reaching down to poke it once more. I stopped him with a piercing look.

"A…large…bruise?" Sirius said out loud slowly.

"Yeah, it feels and looks like a bruise. But bruises don't get this big." James said, his expression morphing into one of curiosity and confusion. I sighed in frustration.

"This is too big for us. We're going to need to go to the Library. In Hogwarts. We'll have to look when we get back." I mused.

"And maybe we'll be able to get into the restricted section, since you'll be _Head Girl_ and all." Sirius smirked.

"Sirius Orion Black, are you _mocking_ me?" I asked incredulously, my nostrils flaring just a bit. He winced.

"What's the right answer?" He whispered loudly to James. James smacked a hand to his forehead and shook his head. I rolled my eyes.

"What about Remus? Are we going to tell him? Don't you think he'd completely blow up at us?" I asked them, but their answer was interrupted.

"Misty is back!" Misty squealed, as she appeared next to us. The three of us jumped.

"SHE'S BACK!" Sirius and I screamed together. She looked a bit alarmed, again. "Where's…" Sirius and I started together. We turned to each other. "Stop that!" We snapped at each other. I huffed and pressed a finger to my lips to tell him to not speak. He nodded meekly.

"Where's the elf you were talking about?" I asked her.

"He's coming!" Misty squealed, glancing worriedly at James again. "Master's parents will be very upset, won't they?" Misty said, looking at James.

"Please don't tell them, Misty. We don't want them to be upset." James begged her. She nodded. We heard another _pop_, and an older elf appeared. He was wearing a smile identical to Misty's, and had the same large eyes, and pointy ears. But by the wrinkles, I could tell he was much older.

"This is Gille." Misty told us.

"Hi, Gille." We greeted together.

"Gille is the one who helps Misty and other elves in Hogwarts when Misty and other elves are hurt!" Misty explained.

"Hello." Gille smiled at us. He had a much lower voice than Misty.

"Gille, do you think you can fix this, please?" Sirius asked, pointing to James. I moved over so Gille would have space to work. He dropped down next to James and put a bony, pale pink hand to James' purple stomach. He felt around a little, and James winced when he touched sensitive spots.

"Gille can fix it." He confirmed, standing up. "But Master Potter might be in pain for sometime. Gille will need bandages." He told us. I conjured up some bandages for him to use. "Master Potter-"

"Please Gille, call me James." James interrupted.

"Can Master James lie down?" Gille asked him. correcting himself. James did as he was asked and slowly lowered himself so he was lying down in the grass. Gille pressed both of his bony, pale pink hands to James stomach, and his mouth moved as he muttered a few words. Slowly, but surely, the bruise got smaller. The black and blue wasn't as dark as before. "Can Gille have bandages?" He asked me. I handed them to him. James sat up, and Gille put the bandages around James' stomach area.

"Is he going to be okay?" Sirius asked. Gille turned to us and nodded.

"Master James must keep bandages on for two weeks." He told us both. Sirius nodded.

"I'll make sure that happens, Gille. Thank you _so_ much." Sirius said, reaching down to hug the little elf. Gille froze, completely stunned.

"Thank you, Gille. We really appreciate it. We'll be sure to visit you next year." I promised him, giving him a wide, grateful smile. He nodded numbly.

"Yeah, what they said already. I'm happy you could cure me." James told him, reaching down to hug the elf, too. James pulled back and the little elf was so overcome with emotions, his eyes started watering.

"Gille will visit later. Gille needs to go. Bye!" He croaked, very obviously trying to hold back tears. He apparated away with a _pop_.

"Masters and Mistress made Gille very happy. Gille is never that happy!" Misty smiled. "But Misty must go now. Misty hopes Master James will be better, and Misty will visit soon!" She apparated away with loud _pop_, leaving the three of us in the field.

"So…" Sirius said, trying to break the silence.

"Okay, so we're not telling Remus about this?" I asked, just to clarify. They exchanged a glance and turned back to me.

"Nope." They said together, with identical smiles that looked too mischievous to be innocent. I raised a questioning eyebrow at them. They didn't answer. Instead, James threw an arm around my shoulder, and Sirius put his hands on both of our shoulders, and apparated us away.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you guys liked this chapter! I know it was short, but I had to make it that way. The next chapter will be super long, I promise! It'll cover the rest of the summer, but at least twice as long as I usually make the chapters! **

**I want to thank you guys for reviewing! Only a few chapters ago, I barely had 100, and now, I have 155! It's really nice of you guys, even the ones who just write a few words! **

**Until next Friday,**

**Love,  
SAM :)  
**


	31. The Beginning of the End

Chapter 31: The Beginning of the End

"Oh man, oh man. Oh no. Where is it? _Where is it_?" She screamed.

"Lily, I think we need you over here!" Another girl called, glancing around worriedly. I smacked a hand to my forehead.

"Alice, calm down, it's in your hair already." I told her, trying to hide the amusement in my voice. I put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Her eyes widened as she rushed over to the full length mirror and breathed an audible sigh of relief.

"I'm just nervous. I'm sorry." She said, giving me a small smile. I went to stand next to her.

"Yeah, and you should be. Today, you become Mrs. Alice Longbottom!" I told her dramatically, grinning widely. I was at Alice's wedding, and have been for the last few hours. As Maid of Honor, I had to help her get ready.

"Oh man…I've wanted this for so long…and it's just…nerve-wracking, you know?" She breathed, turning to me, a mixture of fear and joy apparent on her face.

"The best Auror in the Academy…_nervous_? We're all doomed." Emmeline Vance snickered from behind us. She was one of Alice's friends at the Auror Academy and was the one that called me over before.

"Shut it, Vance." Alice laughed shakily.

"Alice, honey, are you almost done? The wedding's going to start soon!" Alice's mother asked, coming into the room. She looked Alice over and tears sprung to her eyes. She and Alice met half way in a tight embrace, both women trying hard not to cry. Quickly, the pulled apart. "Oh, honey, I'm sorry! I'm not supposed to be making you upset today!" Alice's mother said with a watery smile. She bit her lip to keep from tearing up once more. She looked around at the rest of us. "The rest of you are ready then?" A chorus of 'yes' filled the air and she nodded. "Okay, Lily, dear, you're first in line, and the rest of you behind her, in height order."

"Okay, okay. It'll be fine." Alice whispered to herself as I passed by. She was hyperventilating. I smiled.

"It'll be great." I promised her, before slipping on my shoes and starting a line near the door. The rest of the girls followed me and we all looked at Alice and her mother expectantly. They smiled at each other and hugged one last time.

"Enjoy this day, honey." Her mother said, before giving her arm a squeeze and rushing out the door.

"Well, I guess you guys follow me, then?" Alice said, biting down on her bottom lip. I laughed and nodded, motioning for her to leave the room before me. She inhaled, stood up taller, raised her head higher, and walked out the door. I followed her, and the rest of the bridesmaids followed me.

The wedding was taking place outside. The hotel next to it was letting them use it for eating and dancing afterwards, and for getting ready for the wedding. We walked outside the hotel and we were immediately ambushed by a camera.

"Some warning would've been nice, Peter!" I groaned after recovering from the initial shock. He gave me an apologetic smile.

"Sorry." I rolled my eyes. Peter was chosen as the photographer, since for some odd reason, he had talent with a camera. "Okay, I need all of you to line up in front of the hotel." He instructed, which was something totally new for him. Only on rare occasions did Peter tell anyone what to do. We wordlessly did what he was told. "Uh…say…cheese?" He offered, a humorous glint in his eyes. I snickered and earned confused glances from the other girls, but only Peter knew what I was laughing about and smiled at me when I met his eyes.

"Cheese!" We said together. He snapped a picture, and then two more.

"Alice, are you ready?" Alice's father asked, coming towards us. She took another breath and looked him square in the eye.

"Yes, daddy, I am." She told him, making his eyes water. The tears started to fall quickly. "Dad, you're making me jealous. I can't cry, but you can!" She said, her voice quavering a little.

"Come, dear. Frank's waiting." He whispered to her, and I almost starting crying myself. They linked arms and we started walking towards the altar. Peter soon fell in step with me.

"Cheese? Couldn't think of anything else?" I joked.

"I need to embrace the inner rat, Lily." He chuckled.

"James, Sirius, and Remus already here?" I asked him, hoping they'd turn up on time.

"Yeah, we came here together from Prongs' house." He explained. "They also told me about your guys' motorcycle shenanigan. And the fight afterwards." He told me, cocking an eyebrow. I sighed.

"What'd they tell you?" I asked, fearful of the answer.

"Well, Padfoot told me you have a killer right hook." He laughed. "Didn't exactly expect that from you." Yeah? And I didn't expect to have a one-on-one conversation this long with you, either!

"James is just lucky that I never resorted to using it on him." I snorted.

"Okay, Peter, can you stay here, and capture as much as you can?" Alice said, turning around to face him.

"Yeah, I will." He told her, "And thanks for asking me to do this," he added. "It was nice of you. Oh, and have fun."

"Thanks Peter!" She smiled, and faced her father once more. "Okay, I'm ready." She said, inhaling once more. The music started playing, and as we all walked out to towards the altar, I spotted James, Sirius, and Remus sitting in one of the middle rows. I winked at James as we passed, and he blew a kiss to me while Sirius and Remus were rolling their eyes. We reached the altar and stood in perfect formation, as was practiced. Then, Alice and her father started walking down the aisle, both wearing huge grins. Alice's father took the hand that he was holding, and placed it in Frank's hand, who looked up at the both of them with an equally wide grin. He looked at Alice in a way I can only describe as the way James looked at me.

I found my heart melting, and I looked out towards James, only to find him staring back at me. His face brightened up when he saw I was looking at him and his smile only got wider. I averted my gaze to Remus, who appeared to be staring between me and James the entire time, a knowing smile playing on his lips. Sirius was being anything but serious, and decided to spend this time playing with his hair. Peter was snapping picture of the wedding, from a ton of different angles. I couldn't help but feel momentarily proud of him. He was growing out of his awkward phase! Hell, I'd even had a _conversation_ with him! Maybe I could work on getting him some more girl friends…and then actually get him to go on a date!

"I do." Frank's husky voice brought me out of my reverie, and I returned my gaze on the reason I came here.

"I do." Alice said, and by the tone of her voice, I could tell she was smiling. The wizard waved his wand over Alice and Frank, and a shower of small, silver stars fell on them, circling around their two figures. Their lips met, and applause erupted from everyone around them. They pulled apart, and looked out towards everyone, both wearing identical grins. Balloons popped and dozens of doves flew out of them. More silver stars flew on the both of them, and formed a little bubble around them.

An hour later, I found myself seated at a round table with James, Remus, Sirius, Peter, Fabian, and Gideon. James was sitting next to me, with Sirius on the other side of me.

"So how's Hogwarts, guys?" Fabian asked from the other side of James.

"Good." Was our unison reply. He and Gideon raised an eyebrow, as if asking us to say more. It was James who chose to expand on that.

"Everything's as it was before. Nothing's really changed. Slytherins still hate the rest of the school, still rounding up Death Eaters. Everyone's going about their daily business." James shrugged.

"They're still attacking us for no reason." Sirius offered.

"They attack you guys?" Gideon asked, his eyes wide and fearful. We shrugged.

"It's nothing much, really. Just a few nasty words exchanged, maybe a few spells here and there." I told them dismissively.

"Still, that's more than what we had to deal with!" Fabian argued, and Gideon was nodding with him.

"Except for being pureblood Prewetts in Gryffindor, you never really did anything to offend them. You kept your pranks spread out everywhere, you didn't dock points off of them (since neither of you were prefects), and really, the only times where you actually targeted them was during Quidditch matches!" Remus pointed out.

"Look at us! We've been picking on Snape since day one, made him lose his friendship with Lily, our pranks are only targeted towards them, our team's extra-vicious when we're playing against them, and to top it off, I, Sirius Orion Black, from the so-called Noble House of Black, am a Gryffindor. I killed the _Toujours_ _Pur_ idea there." Sirius explained quickly, with a hint of a proud smile on his face.

"You make a good point." Fabian said, nodding his head a bit.

"And, then there's Lily, all smart and everything…best in all of our classes-" James started.

"Well the classes James isn't best at!" I interjected. James rolled his eyes.

"She's best in _all_ of our classes and she's muggleborn. It kinda killed their pride, there." James continued.

"You guys are going to be pretty good Aurors when you get here." Fabian told us, looking at us, more impressed than he was before.

"Definitely. Wait till Moody gets a load of them!" Gideon snickered.

"Moody? You can't be talking about Alastor Moody?" James asked, his eyes wide. Gideon nodded.

"The very same!" Fabian said.

"The best Auror of our age, apparently." Gideon continued,

"Even after Kingsley!" Fabian chirped.

"Where is he?" James asked, looking around. They shrugged.

"Not here." They replied together.

"He doesn't stop a day to get off of duty!" Fabian said.

"We think he sleeps there." Gideon added with a nod.

"Lily, why don't we go dance?" James offered abruptly, standing up. I looked past him to the dance floor. It was fairly filled, so no one would notice me dancing badly. I took his hand and he led me there. Alice and Frank were in the middle, foreheads pressed against each others, and staring at each other, hardly even blinking. James put his arms around my waist and pulled me closer, and I put my arms around his neck. We started swaying to the music, and it was nice, even though I can't dance.

"I can't believe that soon, we're going to be starting our last year at Hogwarts? I mean can you believe it?" I sighed, shaking my head a little. James chuckled.

"Not at all. I mean, two years ago, I was sitting on my bed, moping about how you hated me." James told me. I rolled my eyes.

"I was moping about how I hated you." I snickered.

"Glad things have changed?" He murmured, leaning down closer to me.

"Yeah." I whispered back, sealing the space between us. We quickly pulled apart, since we _were_ in a public place.

"Hi!" Sirius said from next to us, and I jumped.

"Merlin, don't _do_ that!" James gasped, breaking eye contact with me. Sirius snickered.

"I scared you guys!" He laughed, going into hysterics. James and I exchanged a worried glance. I took my arms away from James' neck and he reluctantly let go of me.

"Sirius, are you okay?" I asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. He turned towards me, his dark eyes lit.

"Everything's great!" He assured me with a nod. I smelled the alcohol in his breath.

"How many?" I asked tiredly.

"I think I had six or seven." He responded, tilting his head a bit. "Oh look! There's Moooony!" He exclaimed. He shrugged my hand off his shoulder and tried to run over to Remus, who was looking frightened.

"He's drunk?" James guessed, throwing an arm around my shoulder.

"Yeah." I responded, smiling at Sirius' attempt to serenade a tomato-red Peter.

* * *

I sighed and fell back on to my bed. Summer was almost over, only a month left. Only a month until my last year. Only a month until I'd have to start studying for N.E.W.T's again. Only a month until I left my parents behind again. But this time, it'd be the _last_ time. After that, I'd be back here for good. Or at least until I get myself a job and find myself an apartment.

"Lily, come down here!" My mum called. I sighed and picked myself off the bed. I skipped down the stairs and walked into the kitchen. It was weird not having Petunia here.

"Yes?" I asked, walking over to the counter where she and my dad were.

"A letter came for you." My dad answered, pointing to the letter a few feet away from him. Just by the color of the envelope and the handwriting on the front, I knew who it was from.

"It's my Hogwarts letter!" I exclaimed, rushing over to it. Both my parents came over and stood behind me. I turned the letter over in my hand, and the Hogwarts seal was on the back. I smiled nostalgically and undid it. I missed that place. I took out the first piece of parchment and opened up so I could read it.

_Dear Miss Evans,_

_ I'm proud to inform you that you have been chosen as this year's Head Girl. As a prefect, you have shown your excellent ability to lead and help others while maintaining your own problems and also your grades. This is a remarkable feat that only the best of people can accomplish. I hope you accept this offer. I will be awaiting your reply. _

_Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore_

_Grand Sorcerer_

_Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_Order of Merlin First Class_

I reached into the envelope and took out the shiny badge. It was silver, and it had the words "Head Girl" carved into it.

"Wow, he has a lot of names!" My dad said. My mum shot him a glare.

"Honey, our daughter was just made Head Girl, and you're concerned about her headmaster's _names_?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"I mean…uh…congratulations, Lily." He corrected himself, patting me on the back, blushing slightly. I laughed.

"We can get you all new robes, and everything!" My mum squealed.

"Mum, I haven't grown at all since we got new robes last year! I'm fine, honestly!" I told her. "But if you really did want to buy me something…I was hoping for-"

"Another book?" She guessed, her face falling slightly. I nodded enthusiastically.

"That's m'girl!" My dad laughed, patting me on the back again.

"LILY!" A voice shouted. I jumped a foot in the air and accidentally dropped my letter and badge. I quickly picked it up and put it back on the counter next to me. I turned around, putting a hand over my speeding heart.

"Merlin, don't _do_ that!" I shrieked. It was just James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter. It didn't appear that James heard me. He ran over, picked me up and spun me around. "What?" I asked, laughing. He had a huge, broad smile.

"Guess what! Guess what! Guess what!" He yelled, putting me down. He started jumping up and down like a five-year-old.

"What?" I asked, simply to humor him.

"Look at it! Look at it! Look at it!" He yelled again, shoving a piece of parchment in my face. I rolled my eyes and took it from him. "Read it! Read it! Read it!"

"Okay! Okay! Okay!" I mimicked, causing everyone else to laugh.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_ I'm very proud to inform you that you have been chosen as Head Boy. You have exhibited the qualities required to become an excellent Head Boy, and I know you will do well. Congratulations!_

_Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore_

_Grand Sorcerer_

_Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_Order of Merlin First Class_

"You're Head Boy." I said, putting down the letter on the table next to my own. I blinked a few times, trying to comprehend this. I spun around. "But…But…I was so sure…" I said, glancing at Remus, and then back to James.

"What is with everyone today? Is _no one_ happy for me?" James yelled, throwing up his arms. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Padfoot wasn't exactly cheering at the news, either." Remus explained, jerking his thumb in Sirius' direction.

"Well, you did predict this would happen." I pointed out.

"We're going to leave you kids alone." My mum interrupted. I bet she was just disappointed James didn't hug her. They both left, and three pairs of confused eyes were on me.

"Don't you remember?" I asked them all. They shook their heads. I sighed. "It was a long time ago, back at the end of fifth year, the day after term ended. You," I said, pointing at Sirius, "Were being dramatic. You were saying how being with me would cause James to go all goody-two shoes. And then he'd stop pulling pranks. And then he'd become Head Boy." I explained. Remus was the first to remember what I was talking about.

"Oh yeah! I remember now!" He laughed, slapping a hand to his forehead. "You brought this on yourself, mate!" Remus laughed, clapping Sirius on the back.

"But why were you upset?" I asked.

"Why weren't you happy?" Sirius shot back with a raised eyebrow. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"I asked first." I told him.

"No, I actually want to know, why weren't you happy?" James said to me, crossing his arms over his chest and raised his eyebrow. I groaned and looked to Remus and Peter for help.

"Sorry Lily." Remus said sheepishly.

"Yeah, you dug yourself this little hole here." Peter shrugged.

"Fine. But don't be mad at me." I told James. He seemed to consider this for a moment. He bit his lip.

"Okay." He said after a while, but looked a bit fearful, probably wondering if he really did want to know or not.

"Well…" I started, but paused, to glance at the three eager sets of ears behind me. I took James' hand and led him into the next room, the living room. I took out my wand. "_Muffliato_." I muttered.

"Lils!" James gasped. I shrugged.

"It's a useful spell." I said defensively. James shook his head and laughed. "Okay." I took a breath. "Well, you…don't really…didn't, I mean…with all those…and no responsibility…really, it was only until I came in…I mean…I'm not making much sense." I sighed, slumping down on the couch. How was I going to say this without sounding like a complete idiot? James stared at me for a bit before sitting down next to me.

"I think I get it." He told me after a little. "You've worked so hard for this, and this is all you wanted for such a long time. And then now, I come along…being irresponsible for the better part of my years there. And just as easily get something that you've worked so hard for, especially since I didn't even work towards it. And, I'm not even a prefect." He said emotionlessly.

"I mean, you obviously did work, you're the captain of the Quidditch Team! You're as qualified as any of the prefects. But…it's just…everything else you said…" I muttered, putting my head in my hands.

"I know, Lily. And I mean, I don't know what else to say…I did have thoughts this summer, about how nice it would be, working alongside you. But I didn't actually think it would happen." He muttered. I looked up at him to see his hand running through his hair. I sighed again.

"I don't hate you for this, James." I told him lightly. His face brightened considerably. "You didn't go to Dumbledore and ask him for this." I sighed. "But it's just a little hard to accept."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." He muttered. "It's like when I first got on the Quidditch team, back in second year. I was really happy, and it was great. But then I saw that there were people who tried out because they were bored…and people who didn't want to be on the team nearly as much as I did…" He sighed. "I get what you're saying, I really do."

"I thought Remus was going to get it." I confessed. He nodded.

"So did I." He told me. "But, I guess with his whole werewolf thing, Dumbledore decided it wouldn't be a good idea." He shrugged.

"Yeah, that makes sense." I agreed.

"So, everything's all good?" James asked hopefully, giving me a half-smile. I smiled back.

"Of course." I responded, giving him a quick peck on the lips. I took his hand and dragged him up. "_Finite Incantatem_" I muttered.

"Does that work?" James asked, tilting his head a bit. I laughed.

"I'm not sure…I'm just hoping it does." I smiled. We walked back to Remus, Sirius, and Peter.

"Everything sorted out?" Remus asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah." James and I responded together.

"Great, so Lily-flower, you got any food?" Sirius asked, looking around the kitchen.

* * *

**A/N: So this turned out much shorter than I originally planned it to be...Whoops. **

**Please review!**

**Until next Friday,**

**Love,**

**SAM :)  
**


	32. A New School Year

Chapter 32: A New School Year

"Are you sure you have absolutely everything? Every last thing?" My mum asked, glancing at my trunk. I sighed loudly.

"Yes mum, I have _everything_." I assured her.

"Oh, I can't believe it!" She squealed, tackling me with a hug.

"Oof." I said softly at the impact. I hugged her back, and when she pulled back, there were tears in her eyes. I turned to my dad quickly. I didn't want to cry! He gave me a watery smile.

"I can't believe it either…you're growing up, Lils. It's your last year here. You're Head Girl. You have great friends-"

"And a great boyfriend!" My mom added, wiping the tears away. My dad and I rolled my eyes at each other.

"_Anyway_, you've done so great…and we're so proud of you." He finished, hugging me. The train whistle blew behind me.

"Oh, I need to go. I'll write to you guys soon, okay?" I promised. They nodded.

"I love you." They said in unison. I laughed.

"Love you too!" I said, before giving them each another hug.

"Tell James I said hi!" My mum told me. My dad and I shook our heads in disbelief.

"I will, I will. I need to go now. Bye, mum, bye dad!" I said, backing up, with a wave.

"Bye!" They said together. I smiled and turned around to walk on to the train. I'd be in the Heads compartment this year. As Head Girl. I, Lily Marie Evans, am Head Girl. It took everything I had to not squeal out in happiness right now. I went to the Heads compartment at the front of the train and pulled the door open. James was already there.

"James!" I smiled. I hadn't seen him in weeks. We've been writing to each other, but the last time I saw him was when he came to tell me he was Head Boy.

"Lily!" He yelled. He picked me up and spun me around, giving me a quick kiss. "I missed you so much!" He muttered, pulling me into his chest and stroking my hair. I sighed.

"Me too." I murmured, inhaling his scent that I missed so much.

"LILY-FLOWER!" Sirius boomed. I groaned into James' chest and looked up at him.

"Don't let me go." I begged, holding on to James tighter. His body shook with laughter.

"Rejected, Padfoot." Remus said from behind him.

"Lily-flower, I'm hurt! Do you not like me anymore? Is there something you need to say?" Sirius asked dramatically, his pitch escalating.

"Yes." I said, still not looking at him.

"What?" He asked.

"Go away. It was nice before you three came here." I said, burying my head into James' chest again.

"How'd you know there were three of us here? I haven't said a word so far." Peter told me.

"She's Lily. She just knows things. She's like…Dumbledore." Sirius explained.

"No, after a year and something of going out with James, I realized, when you go out with one Marauder, you end up going out with all of them." I explained. "You're like a package, you know?"

"Exactly. Quadruple the fun, eh?" Sirius said, and I could hear the suggestive tone in his voice. I groaned loudly again.

"Right. So I think that's your cue to leave." James chuckled.

"Yeah, I'll get them out of here. I just wanted to remind you, Lily, the prefect/Heads meeting you guys are running starts soon, once the train starts moving." Remus said, and the train started moving. "So it's now." Remus laughed.

"Where?" I groaned. I was still in summer-mode. I didn't feel like doing this just yet. I was comfortable where I was.

"Next compartment over." Remus said, and I could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Get out of here, Lupin." I growled.

"Fine." He yelled dramatically, and stomped out of the compartment.

"They're all gone now." James told me, brushing my hair away from my face. I sighed and quickly kissed him.

"We need to go now. To meet the prefects." I groaned.

"Yeah." He sighed dejectedly. I pulled away from him, and he left one arm around my waist. We left our Heads compartment and went to the one next to ours. It looked like everyone was already there. Actually, it looked like _too_ many people were there.

"SIRIUS!" I barked. Everyone jumped about a foot in the air. "PETER!"

"Er…nice seeing you two detached…?" Peter said, giving me a nervous half-smile. I glared at them angrily.

"REMUS!" I yelled.

"But I'm _supposed_ to be here!" He protested.

"Why, _why_, did you let _these_ two in here?" I demanded. I turned to the rest of the compartment. "Why did _any_ of you let them stay here?" I demanded again. I looked around the compartment at the stunned faces, being careful to skip over Snape's. I kind of wanted to see what damage I did to his face, if it was still there, but I also kind of didn't. But then, I found a face that was new and all too familiar. "Marlene?" I asked, my eyes widening. On her robes was a shiny, new prefect badge.

"Lily, you finally noticed me!" She laughed, coming over to give me a quick hug. I raised an eyebrow, asking why she had it. "This? Oh, well now that you're Head Girl, I guess Dumbledore wanted another Gryffindor girl to be prefect, to make the numbers even." She explained. I nodded and looked around at everyone once more.

"What are you two still doing here? We need to start the meeting!" I yelled to Sirius and Peter. They stared blankly at them. "James, can you please get these two out of here?" I asked, turning to him.

"Padfoot, Wormtail, out." James said, pointing to the door. They didn't budge. He glared. They looked uncomfortable for a moment.

"Fine!" Sirius yelled in defeat, as he and Peter jumped up. "I swear, what's she doing to you? She must give pretty good-"

"Sirius Orion Black, I _dare_ you to finish that sentence." I sneered, giving him the worst glare I could. He paled and shrunk back a little.

"What sentence? I didn't say anything." He tried to cover up. He rushed past me, with Peter on his tail. I quickly brought out my wand and pointed it at Sirius.

"_Diffindo_." I whispered, and his pants split, falling to his ankles. I pocketed my wand once more, and smirked as he gaped at me. "So, we can start now." I said, turning to all of the stunned faces in the carriage. The fifth years looked scared, the sixth years were laughing at Sirius, and the seventh years were whispering among themselves. "Okay guys, we're starting now." I repeated, and they all turned to look at me.

"Why are you Head Girl? Obviously, I deserve it." The Slytherin seventh year girl prefect said, flipping her hair behind her.

"I'm not sure how to answer that question. That's a question Professor Dumbledore can more appropriately answer." I told her promptly. "Now-"

"Why's _he_ Head Boy? He's done nothing!" Snape sneered, gesturing James. I was slightly disappointed to see whatever I did to his face gone, or covered up. There was a general murmur of agreement between everyone. One of them even pointed out that James wasn't ever a prefect.

"Okay everyone, I assure you that neither of us went up to Professor Dumbledore's office and begged him to make us Heads. If you have questions about it, go ask _him_, not us. And I will assure you, I don't doubt James' competency. Although his previous years here have been less than helpful to our school, he has changed and he is ready to this on. That will be the end of that discussion." I told them all forcefully, giving them all the glare that I used on Sirius just a moment ago.

"And, Lily is _very_ qualified for this, and any of you who disagree should go get themselves checked. It's obvious to anyone who's been in the school that Lily is the best one in our year for this job, and has been since she stepped in the school. _Now_ it's the end of this discussion." James added, giving them all a forceful look I didn't know he had.

The rest of the meeting went by quite quietly, and no one else really spoke up. We were able to give them all patrolling arrangements, and thankfully, we were able to pair House prefects together, unlike last year.

"Lily, thanks." James said after the meeting was over. I looked up at him.

"What for?" I asked, completely confused.

"For sticking up for me. I know how hard it was for you to accept it at first…so thanks." He smiled. I shrugged.

"For us to be able to do this, we need to believe in each other." I reminded him, putting an arm around his waist. We walked back into the Heads compartment and took seats next to each other. I rested my head on his shoulder. He started rubbing circles on my sides, but then suddenly stopped. I looked up at him and gave him a questioning look.

"I just remembered I need to ask Padfoot something…do you want to come?" He offered. I shook my head.

"No, I think I'll stay here. I wanted to read some stuff in our textbook anyway." I told him, looking up at my trunk. I brought out my wand and unlocked it. I summoned the Charms textbook, my favorite. He raised an eyebrow at me.

"Uh, whatever works for you?" He said as more of a question than a statement. He was probably wondering why on earth I'd want to read our textbook in my free time. I rolled my eyes.

"Just go." I said, shooing him out the door. He smiled and quickly kissed me.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." He promised, before shutting the compartment door. I cracked open the book, taking the scent in first. I loved the smell of new book. It was just so…_good_. I opened up to chapter one, and started reading when I heard the compartment door slide open.

"You're back quick." I said, raising my head to look up. But it wasn't James who opened the door. No, standing in front of me was Snape. "Oh." I tilted my head and narrowed my eyes. "What are _you_ doing here?" I asked, only not sneering at him since I felt a little bad for punching him. Only a little, though. He sat down across from me and I raised an eyebrow. "I don't recall letting you in, nor do I remember inviting you to sit down." I reminded him. He looked away for a moment; it seemed he hadn't even registered that I spoke. He sat there, looking at the window in silence for a few minutes. I sighed loudly. "Listen, if you're not going to do anything, I suggest you leave. Believe me, James-"

"Join us." He interrupted, looking me in the eye once more. I blinked a few times.

"What?" I asked softly.

"Join us." He repeated. "He's real; he can protect you, and your family. The Dark Lord's rising, he's coming into power, and he values people like you, Lily." I was so stunned, I didn't even bother telling him not to call me that.

"Okay, I need to make sure I heard right. You are asking me to join You-Know-Who to protect myself and my family?" I clarified.

"Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying." He confirmed. He looked hopeful for a moment.

"You've gone insane." I told him. "I would rather _die_ than join him. I have no interest in joining him, and I'm perfectly content where I am." I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Lily, he's going to kill you." Snape repeated, and I felt a sense of desperation in his voice. I shook my head.

"I'd rather die knowing I did the right thing than die knowing I'm the reason dozens of people are dead, lying on the streets." I said, now glaring at him. "Now, if that's all you needed to say..." I said, gesturing the door. I realized, my heart was beating very quickly and my palms were sweaty.

"Fine." He said, rising to his feet. "But, if you ever change your mind, you know where I am." I rolled my eyes. Not in a million years.

"When hell freezes over." I assured him. He gave me one last look of desperation before leaving. I sighed and tried to put the encounter from my mind.

"I just passed Snape and he gave me a glare that could rival yours…did he just come in here?" James asked as he entered the compartment. Well, so much for forgetting about it. I closed my book.

"You might want to sit down." I said softly. He took a seat next to me.

"What happened?" He asked. I took a deep breath and recounted exactly what happened. "He wanted you to join them….wow…that's…wow." James said, leaning back and running a hand through his hair. I put my head on his shoulder.

"My thoughts exactly." I muttered.

* * *

"It's nice to see all of your faces again for the new year. This summer has been anything but chaotic and I'm glad we are all still here. Firstly, I'd like to remind you all of the basic school rules: No going into the Forbidden Forest," Dumbledore gave a pointed look in the Maruaders' direction, "No venturing in the hallways after curfew, no magic in the corridors." Sirius gave a small scoff at this. "And second, how about a round of applause to our Head Boy and Head Girl for this year, James Potter and Lily Evans!" There was a loud round of applause from the Gryffindors. Sirius was especially loud; he was banging his fists on the table. The Slytherins just exchanged dour glances. "I'd like to see the two of you after this." He added. "On that note, let the feast begin!" Dumbledore finished, clapping his hands together and sitting down. The Great Hall was quickly filled with loud voices as everyone started eating and talking to their friends.

"We need to tell you guys something tonight." James said, lowering his voice, leaning towards Remus, Sirius, and Peter, all who were across from us. Noticing the grave looks on our faces, their eyes widened. Sirius opened his mouth to say something, but Remus quickly cut him off.

"Wait, you can't tell us tonight." Remus said. I tilted my head and looked at James.

"What?" I asked.

"You guys don't know? Head Boy and Head Girl get to share a dorm!" Remus smirked. Sirius' eyes widened, James raised his eyebrow happily, and Peter was trying not to laugh.

"Oh, you guys are definitely going to do _the deed_." Sirius laughed.

"Shut up!" I screeched, kicking his leg.

"BLOODY HELL, WOMAN!" Sirius yelled, turning a few heads. He reached down, clutching his leg. "I'd watch out for that leg, mate. Oh, and that arm." He told James in a "whisper".

We finished up eating, just around the same time as everyone else did. People were going back to their dorms and the prefects were guiding the younger kids away to the house common rooms. I gave Marlene a thumbs up as she helped. James and I walked towards the staff table, pushing through the other students as Dumbledore made his way towards us, too. We ended up meeting in the middle.

"I wanted to discuss with you two about your housing arrangements. I'm sure you've heard by now that the Head Girl and Head Boy share a dorm. I'd like to remind you that this dorm is a privilege for the Heads, and I will ask for you to not abuse it. If you'll come with me, I'll show you where it is." He said, and he walked passed us, leaving us to follow him. By now, everyone had cleared out of the area and it was easy enough to get through. He led us towards the Gryffindor Tower, but instead of taking the stair case towards the Fat Lady, we took a stair case to a portrait of a knight in Gryffindor colors a little to the left of her. We arrived in front of it and Dumbledore turned to face us again. "You can choose this password to be anything you'd like. Choose wisely." Dumebldore smiled before turning around, and taking the stairs back to his office.

"So, what do you think?" James and I asked each other and the same time.

"Uh, why not…Godric Gryffindor?" James asked me. I shrugged my shoulders. Sirius and Peter weren't likely to guess that. Remus probably wouldn't try.

"Sounds good to me." I agreed. "Er…did you hear that?" I asked the portrait. He nodded and swung open for us without a word. We climbed through and found that it was an exact copy of the Gryffindor Common Room, just smaller. There were even the chairs in front of the fireplace and the clock above it! There were two stair cases leading to two doors. The one on the left was probably mine, since that was where the girls' dorms usually were. "I'm gonna…" I said, pointing to my door.

"Oh, I didn't even notice!" James laughed, before going up his stairs. I went up my stairs and opened the door. There was one huge bed, which was the first thing I saw. The covers were gold and red and the walls were a gold-yellow color. I figured I'd be able to change that if I wanted. There was a single window, with a large enough window sill, and I was glad for that. Looking out of it, I saw it had the same view that my room in the Gryffindor Tower had: the Quidditch Pitch. Next to the window was the closet, and I was pleased to see it was considerably larger than the one I used to have. I quickly exchanged the school robes for my muggle clothes. I crossed the room to go through the second door. It was a bathroom! It was fairly large, and I had it all to myself! It even had a tub!

"This is great, isn't it?" James said, and I jumped a foot in the air.

"Don't do that!" I shrieked, clutching at my heart. "You scared me!" James snickered. He stepped forward into my room. "Wait, you can come up here!" I realized.

"Yeah, that's pretty great, huh?" He whispered, coming closer and raising his eyebrow suggestively. I smirked.

"Very good." I agreed, meeting him in the middle. Our lips crashed together out of pure need, and boy, I'd missed this. I was glad I decided to change into my muggle clothes, and even happier James decided to do the same. He put hiss fingers in my belt buckles of my jeans and pulled me closer while I let my hands loose in his hair. He pushed me up near the closest wall and started running quick, hot kisses down my neck. He found a particularly sensitive spot near my neck, eliciting a soft moan from me. This only seemed to drive him more. He let one of his large, warm hands under my shirt, causing me to shudder slightly. He captured my mouth in his once more and we let our tongues dance together as he snaked his arm around my waist. I untangled my hands from his hair and put them on his strong chest. His hands found his way to my bare stomach and I let out a small gasp. He suddenly seemed to stop and realize what he was doing and where his hands were before slowly slipping them away from me. I took my hands off his chest and quickly pulled down my shirt. I looked back up into his eyes and they were bright, really bright. His hand flew to his hair and he gave me a sort of a half-smile. His cheeks were bright red and I just started laughing. He joined in and we were both holding on to my wall for support. What was weirder was that neither of us knew why exactly we were laughing. He managed to calm down enough to look around.

"You can see the Quidditch Pitch from this window." James observed, with a small smile on his face. I blushed, thinking of the many times I watched James as he worked out. He looked towards my bed. "It's really neat. Too neat, really." His smile started to grow as his eyes widened in anticipation. I narrowed my eyes.

"Don't. You. Dare." I warned him, moving over to my bed protectively. He took a few steps closer. I raised an eyebrow, daring him to move closer. Suddenly, he leaped up and landed stomach first on my bed. I slapped a hand to my forehead. Deciding it was time for revenge, I jumped on to my bed, too, and started tickling him. He started squirming around, trying to get away from me and trying not to laugh at the same time. He eventually caught my arms and turned us around so I was on the bed and he was above me. "You know, if you wanted on top, you could've just asked." I said, grinning widely. He rolled his eyes and went red. He plopped down next to me and started tracing circles on my hand.

"I love you." He whispered. I snuggled closer to his side.

"I love you, too." I whispered back.

* * *

Something smelled good, really good. Since when had my pillow smelled so good? Actually, since when did I have three hands? My eyes shot open and the first thing I saw was green. The second thing was a long, rather tan arm. I quickly looked myself over. I was still wearing clothes. That was a good thing. And so was James. That was even better. I peeked over him. It was already six.

"James." I whispered, nudging him slightly. He didn't even stir. "James!" I repeated, this time much louder. I frowned slightly when he only tightened his arm around me. I kissed him, which did work.

"Lily." He moaned, pulling me closer. I giggled. His eyes shot open, and once he saw me, they bugged out, and he turned red. I sat up, pulling his arm away from me. "Uh, I didn't say much, right?" He muttered, sitting up as well. I shook my head and raised an eyebrow.

"Do you talk about me much in your sleep?" I asked, leaning closer.

"Well, if you must know, it's not really _talking_…" He murmured. I rolled my eyes again.

"Get up. We need to get ready. Classes start today." I reminded him, and he groaned. "Come on, it's our last year."

"Yeah, until we start Auror training." He muttered, climbing off my bed. He walked to the door in a not-so straight line. "I'll see you down there." He said, closing the door behind him.

Quickly picking out my clothes, I went through my morning routine before throwing open my door once more. I paused just to take a look around, and smiled. This year was going to be great. James was going down his stairs as well, and hand-in-hand, we climbed out of the portrait hole.

"So, you ready for today?" James asked as we went down our staircase.

"Definitely." I nodded. "What about you?"

"I woke up today next to you. This day is going to be great." He said, looking fondly at me. We walked through the doors of the Great Hall to find Sirius, Remus and Peter already seated. That was surprising. I didn't think Sirius would bother to wake up this early. It was probably Remus' doing.

"Hey guys." James and I said together as we sat down.

"Hi." Remus and Peter both said, between mouthfuls of food. Sirius looked at both of us. I felt like I was being analyzed.

"Uh, Padfoot. What're-" James started

"You did it, didn't you? The dirty deed? Well, Lily-flower, you're not much of a flower anymore, are you?" Sirius asked, peering at me. I tilted my head. He was looking at me well, _seriously_. I took the nearest bacon strip.

"No, you arsehole! We didn't!" I screeched, throwing the bacon at him. Sirius pouted and James, Remus, and Peter laughed. I felt guilty immediately. I was Head Girl. I wasn't supposed to exhibit this kind of behavior. I looked wearily back at Sirius. But, it was kind of worth it.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry about this being late! Hopefully the length will make up for it?**

Review please!

Love,  
SAM :)


	33. And Things Get a Little Crazy

Chapter 33: And Things Get a Little Crazy

The weeks passed by quicker than they ever had. Between NEWT classes, being Head Girl (and doing the duties that come with it), spending time with friends, and then spending time with James, I barely had any time to breathe! Before I knew it, our second Hogsmeade weekend had come and gone, Gryffindor swept through the first match against Slytherin, and we were already welcoming the crisp fall weather.

"Is it just me or have we not done anything _fun_ this year?" Sirius complained as we all went down to the Great Hall for breakfast. "I mean, it's the middle of October and all I can remember doing is work!" He sighed. I exchanged a worried look with James. Sirius wasn't used to working this much; his natural talent for every subject he was taking guaranteed him good grades. Even Peter was having a better time with it, since he was used to putting in extra effort for his school work.

"This is going to sound surprising, but I agree with Padfoot." Remus yawned, rubbing his eyes.

"Me too." Peter nodded. I found myself nodding, too.

"I mean, the most fun we've had was the night of the last full moon. Other than that, we didn't really let ourselves loose this year at all." Sirius grumbled as we walked through the Great Hall's large, brass doors.

"Well, why don't we sneak into Professor Slughorn's office, steal some Firewhiskey, get stoned, and experience a hangover for the first time in our lives?" I suggested sarcastically. Sirius gaped at me as we sat down at the table. I was guessing he was too tired to realize the sarcasm.

"Well, second for me. First was Longbottom's wedding. But seriously- haha, get it? - can we do that?" He asked eagerly. I chose to ignore the pun.

"No!" I told him sharply as I reached for a piece of bread.

"Party pooper!" Sirius pouted as he piled his plate with food.

"I suggested the idea!" I exclaimed in disbelief. You can't win with these people! "And, I'm Head Girl! 'Party pooper' is my middle name." I added him, pointing to the badge pinned to my robes.

"Whatever." He shrugged dejectedly.

"You know what I've always wanted to do?" I asked, looking at them all.

"It better not be another great idea you're going to shoot down because you're Head Girl!" Peter warned.

"No, no. I promise." I told them. I had four sets of eager eyes on me. They were desperate, weren't they? They were willing to listen to _my_ idea. For all they knew, it could have been to read every book in the library! "I've always wanted to have a pickup line fight." I admitted. The eager eyes turned from confused and then to shocked. James was the first to recover.

"What about all the times I said cheesy pick up lines to you? You never shot any back!" James whined. I smacked him on the shoulder.

"It was because they were _cheesy_!" I told him incredulously. "I wouldn't have minded magic-related ones." I admitted sheepishly. He smacked a hand to his forehead.

"Why didn't I think of that earlier?" He shouted, causing heads to turn. "So I guess we can start now, eh?" He asked with a wink.

"You're on, Potter." I smirked. I took a breath. Sirius wanted a fun day? Well he was about to get one. "Is that your wand in your pocket? Or are you just happy to se me?" I said to James. Remus groaned loudly.

"Ssh. This is going to be interesting!" Peter said eagerly, quieting him down.

"I don't have an invisibility cloak, but do you think tonight I could visit your restricted section?" Sirius jumped in.

"You know, Hagrid's not the only giant on campus." James said shooting me a cheeky smile. I laughed. This was going to be interesting.

"I'm like the spine on a Care of Magical Creatures book; if you stroke me right I'll open wide for you." I whispered seductively to James. I heard him gulp.

"I want to get my basilisk into your chamber of secrets!" Sirius chirped.

"Padfoot, why are yours about _sex_?" Remus groaned.

"You know Platform 9 and 3/4? Well I know something else with the same exact measurements." James said to me huskily.

"Have you been using Accio? Cause I've been coming to you every night." I said to James right back.

"Ha. Only in his dreams." Peter scoffed, causing Remus to laugh and nod.

"WAIT." Remus said loudly. We all shot him an annoyed look for interrupting. "Class?" He reminded us. Oh…right. We got up and I started walking, racking my brain for more pick up lines that I've heard.

"Have you been using Petrificus Totalus? Because you've made me stiff." Sirius snickered.

"That one was pretty good." Peter laughed.

"This one's better: You're like a bottle of Skele-Gro: You're growing me a bone." James said.

"Without you I feel like I'm in Azkaban and Dementors are sucking away my soul." I thought up.

"You don't have to say 'Lumos' to turn me on!" Sirius yelled, causing many people to look at us in confusion.

"Be quieter about this, please?" I said, looking around cautiously. "I mean, _I'm_ Head Girl, and James is Head Boy. We're not supposed to be participating in this type of activity." I explained.

"Oh lighten up. Where does it say you can't?" Sirius asked. "It's not like we're being _too_ disruptive." He added. I shrugged. Fair point.

"Engorgio! Oh wait I don't need magic to enlarge this!" James laughed. I giggled.

"A couple nights with me and Moaning Myrtle will have to get a new nickname!" Sirius yelled. "YES! That was good." He huffed proudly. I rolled my eyes.

"You can have the portkey to my heart." I said.

"Yours is girly." Sirius said dismissively.

"You mean _clean_?" Remus asked, eyeing him apprehensively.

"Yeah, same thing." Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Want to have a Tri-Wizards Tournament? Well I was thinking more one wizard and two witches." James smirked proudly, throwing open the door to Potions class.

"I guess we'll stop it during class…" I decided. "Unless you happen to come up with a really good idea." I added after a second thought. Sirius laughed.

"Really Lily-flower. I thought I'd never see the day." He said, shaking his head as we went in. I hit him on the upside of the head and went to my usual seat near the front of the room with James. Also at our table were Snape and some other Slytherin girl. It was Slughorn's genius idea to put the two of us, (me and Snape) who are doing the best in the class, at the same table. He seemed unaware that we stopped talking to each other a long time ago. Sirius' table was next to us, Peter's was behind us, and Remus' was all the way in the back of the classroom. Alex and Marlene were also at his table.

"Lily, dear, what happened?" Slughorn asked, frowning as he handed me my test from last week. It had just a few points lower than I usually score. I wasn't that sad about it; I did really well on a Transfiguration test the other day. Transfiguration wasn't a strong point. "Is it Mr. Potter's influence? Is he distracting you?" Slughron asked disapprovingly, shifting his gaze from me to James. Sirius snickered loudly next to us.

"Er…I'm not sure Professor." I told him, shifting in my seat uncomfortably. He shrugged and turned to Snape. "But you, Severus, you seem to be doing a lot better than usual. Good job!" Slughorn told him, patting him on the shoulder.

"Prongs, I think you have competition." Sirius said, coming over to us once Slughorn left our table.

"Get out of here." I told him, not liking what he was hinting at. I shuddered in disgust.

"I don't have competition! Slughorn's all…old…and Slughorn-y." James said, crinkling his nose.

"Ha! I get it. _Horny_. Nice one." Sirius snickered. I hit Sirius on the arm.

"Shut up!" I whispered.

"That's the second time in ten minutes! Watch it, Evans!" Sirius said loudly, so a few heads turned in our direction.

"Mr. Black, do sit down. You are causing quite a disruption. And especially with your grades…" Slughorn tsk-ed. "Mr. Lupin!" Slughorn boomed to Remus in the back.

"Yes, sir?" Remus asked slowly, fearing what was coming next.

"You're going to be tutoring Mr. Black from now on!" Slughorn told him. Remus simply nodded slowly. Sirius opened his mouth to object. "Or Mr. Black will be coming to Remedial Potions class!" Slughorn finished quickly, and Sirius promptly shut his mouth. James and I exchanged an amused glance.

"Sirius! What do you want?" I yelled. It was near the end of the class. James and I were just cleaning up and he was calling my name about a hundred times over.

"Some temper you have…" Sirius muttered, his face falling a little bit, and I felt kind of guilty.

"I'm sorry." I said, struggling to keep the sarcasm out of my voice. "What did you want?" I asked again, this time a bit more softly and nicer.

"Does Moony have to help me? Can't _you_ help me?" He asked, sticking out his bottom lip in a pout as he slowly batted his eyelashes. It reminded me of a five-year-old who wanted the out-of-reach cookie jar. I felt momentarily bad for him.

"Don't even pull that, Padfoot." Remus said harshly, suddenly appearing next to Sirius. "Don't fall for it, Lily. He uses that face with McGonagall…and pretty much every Professor, for that matter." Remus said, shooting Sirius a nasty look.

"And it was _just_ about to work, Moony!" Sirius yelled, throwing his arms up and stomping away. I rolled my eyes, and packed up my stuff.

"Lily, dear, can I talk to you for a moment. And you too, Severus." Slughorn said, calling us both over a little before class was over. "The rest of you can leave early." Slughorn said to the rest of the class.

"We'll wait outside then." James said, pointing to himself and the rest of the Marauders. I nodded. Slughorn waited patiently until the last person left. I was afraid he was going to try to pair me with Snape.

"I wanted to speak to you two about a new idea I had." He said. Oh no, he _was_ going to put us together!

"Yes sir?" Severus asked politely, in a voice I'd rarely heard from him these days.

"Well, I was thinking of starting my own club here. It'll be called the _Slug Club_ and only the best students will be invited to join." Slughorn said proudly. I highly doubted that. More like the best students and any student with good connections or with famous backgrounds.

"It sounds like a wonderful idea, professor." I told him, mostly just to stay on his good side.

"Thank you, Lily. I'll let you two go to class now. Professor McGonagall will have my throat if you're late." He chuckled. I adjusted the strap on my bag before turning around to leave the class. "Oh, and Lily?" He called after me. I turned around. "Please try not to get distracted by Mr. Potter." He requested sadly. I heard Snape snicker as he passed me.

"I'll try, sir." I promised. "Have a good day." I said, and left before he could say anything back.

"Finally, and Prongs was worried that Slughorn was _raping_ you." Sirius huffed.

"I was _not_!" James protested. I rolled my eyes.

"I believe it's my turn?" I clarified, looking at Sirius and James. They nodded. "Interested in making some magic together? My wand is at the ready." I smiled.

"Let's practice Alohamora...you can be the door so I can slam you all I want!" Sirius said without skipping a beat. Remus shook his head shamefully.

"I bet you've been waiting to use that one." He said warily. Sirius nodded proudly.

"Have you been using Petrificus Totalus? Because you've made me stiff!" James said to me with a wink. I blushed.

"Oh Merlin, not here." Peter groaned.

"Shut it, Wormtail." James said with a frown. I rolled my eyes.

"I must have had some Felix Felicis, because I think I'm about to get lucky." I said.

"Wait, we're going to Transfiguration now, aren't we?" Sirius asked, suddenly stopping in his tracks. We all exchanged exasperated looks.

"Yes, Padfoot, we are." Remus said slowly.

"YES!" Sirius screamed, pumping a fist in the air. He shot off towards Transfiguration, not even stopping to apologize to everyone he knocked into. Remus was shaking his head again.

"I suppose we should hold this off until we get Sirius back?" James guessed. I shook my head. We were going to continue this. "In that case, I don't know a thing about Merlin's pants, but I'd love to get into yours!"

"You must be magical, because I've fallen under your spell." I said to James, struggling to weave through the people.

"Girls call me 'Aguamenti.' Every time they hear my name, they get wet." James snickered. I raised an eyebrow.

"Gross, Prongs." Remus said, crinkling his nose.

"If you were a Dementor, I'd become a criminal just to get your kiss." I said to James.

"OKAY we're here." Remus felt the need to announce, clearly still feeling uncomfortable about all this. I laughed as I pushed open the door. We found Sirius in the middle of serenading McGonagall.

"_And when I touch you I feel happy, inside  
It's such a feeling  
That my love  
I can't hide  
I can't hide  
I can't hide_.

_Yeah you, got that something  
I think you´ll understand  
When I feel that something  
I wanna hold your hand  
I wanna hold your hand  
I wanna hold your hand._" Sirius finished. The entire class was staring. Professor McGonagall was wearing an unreadable expression.

"Right…" Professor McGonagall started awkwardly. I could see a slight blush creeping up on her cheeks, and I bit my lip to keep from laughing out loud. By James' contorted expression, I could tell he was trying to do the same. I dragged James over to our usual seats: Sirius usually sits on the other side of James, and Remus on the other side of me. McGonagall had unfortunately moved Peter up to the front. "Mr. Black, kindly go to your seat." She said, nodding her head in our direction.

"I know we're not in Professor Flitwick's class, but you still are charming." Sirius said to her, smiling sweetly. Professor McGonagall's eyes widened and she definitely was blushing more.

"Mr. Black, kindly go to your seat." She repeated, just a little more forcefully. Sirius shot her another smile before coming to his seat in the back.

"Suck up!" James and I whispered together once he sat down next to James. He smirked at us.

We managed to get in a few more throughout the class, since we sat in the back of this class. No one really noticed, until it was Sirius' turn. He decided to shout out his lines to McGonagall, but he made sure to keep them clean, of course. He'd already told her that "His love for her burns like a dying phoenix." and that "Being without her was like being shot with the Cruciatus Curse." Both times, McGonagall simply turned a little red and chose to ignore him and decided to keep teaching.

"Professor, if I were to look into the Mirror of Erised, I'd see the two of us together." He told her. She sighed and spoke up for the first time.

"Mr. Black, I'd appreciate if you'd-"

"THE THOUGHT OF YOU MAKES SOMETHING VAST AND SILVER ERUPT FROM MY WAND!" Peter yelled out randomly. It sent the four of us in the back into huge fits of laughter, and the rest of the class was just confused. Through the tears in my eyes, I could see McGonagall looking absolutely stunned, and turning a bit red. I was surprised when she patiently waited for us to stop laughing.

"Now that you're done laughing, will any of you kindly explain what you're doing and why?" She asked, peering at us quizzically. We exchanged looks.

"Well you see, Professor," James started. "It all started when Sirius was complaining about not having any fun this year. And then Lily said that she agreed - which probably made his day much more interesting right there - and then said she'd always wanted to have a pick up line fight." James explained.

"A pick up line fight?" McGonagall asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yeah, we simply shoot pick up lines at each other." Sirius jumped in.

"And I'm guessing this is between you," She said, looking at Sirius, "Mr. Potter, Ms. Evans, and Mr. Pettigrew?" She asked. We shook our heads.

"That was Peter's first one." I said.

"It was me, Sirius, and Lily." James added.

"Remus interrupts with his sarcastic comments here and there, though." Sirius somehow felt the need to add.

"Right. Just keep quiet for the rest of the class, will you?" McGonagall asked slowly, probably deciding it was better to not question any further.

* * *

"'The thought of you make something vast and silver erupt from my wand'" Sirius laughed. "That was _genius_, Wormtail!" He clapped Peter on the back. We were walking back from our last class of the day. It was different for Peter and Sirius. Remus simply didn't let me and James continue after that.

"That was definitely the best one." I agreed.

"So, say I used that one on you two year ago. Would it have worked?" James asked raising his eyebrows in surprise. I shrugged.

"If I happened to be in a good mood, probably." I smiled.

"Hello Miss Evans and Mr. Potter." Dumbledore greeted, suddenly appearing in front of us. I was face-to-face with his lilac robes and his white, long beard. I looked up and saw his half-moon spectacles were bridged on his crooked nose. Behind that were his deep blue eyes, now holding something in them that I couldn't recognize.

"Good afternoon, Professor Dumbledore." James and I said together.

"I need to speak to you two privately in my office." He said, waving his hand elegantly behind him, in a way only Dumbledore could. I glanced behind him. We were actually in front of his office. Why hadn't I noticed?

"Of course, sir." James answered for the both of us.

"We'll head back then?" Sirius said, and he, Peter and Remus walked away. Dumbledore turned around and faced the gargoyle expectantly. It opened for him, revealing a large, spiral staircase. The three of us stepped on to one of the bottom steps in sync, and it took us all the way up to a door. It was already open, so we just walked in. Dumbledore sat behind the desk as James and I sat in the chairs across from him. He removed his glasses and suddenly, his eyes were grave. There was no longer the light in his blue eyes that I was accustomed to. He definitely didn't call us up here for a Heads meeting. My stomach dropped. I had a bad feeling about this…

"Now Lily, there's no easy way to say this…" Dumebldore started, looking only at me. "I hate to be the one to tell you," He continued, making me which he'd just get to the point already. I wiped my sweaty hands on my jeans. "Lily, your parents are have passed away."

* * *

**A/N: I got this chapter in! And it's a decent length! I'm not too proud of it, and I don't know why. Probably because I just killed off her parents.  
Anyway, We've reached the 100-favorite story mark...YAY! Now let's try to reach the 200 review mark?**

Until next Friday,  


**Love,  
SAM :)  
**


	34. Roller Coaster

Chapter 34: Roller Coasters

**GOING TO BE IN JAMES' POINT OF VIEW!  
**

"Lily, your parents have passed away." Dumbledore told her solemnly. I blinked. What? No. Clearly, I heard wrong. "I'm so sorry." No! I didn't hear wrong! But how? This was supposed to happen to _my_ parents, not _hers_! I swear, if it were the Death Eaters, I will find You-Know-Who and _strangle_ him. "It was a car crash." Dumbledore added, this time looking at me, once again giving me the strange feeling that he heard what I was thinking.

But, it was a car... I looked at Lily. She was simply staring at Dumbledore. I don't think it quite hit her yet. I found her hand and simply held it. When it hit her, I'd be there. I looked towards Dumbledore again. He seemed to realize it hadn't hit her yet, too. "Your sister notified me. I think two weeks off of school should do it, if you'd like, I'll give you more time. Mr. Potter, if necessary, this will go for you and Mr. Black, Mr. Pettigrew, and Mr. Lupin." He told me. I bit the inside of my cheek.

"What about Marlene?" I asked. She could probably help Lily where I couldn't.

"Her too." He nodded, staring into my eyes. Lily was still sitting, as still as a statue. I guess it'd be best to take her back to our dorms. Maybe she'd be more comfortable there, when it hits her.

"Uh, Lily?" I coughed. She looked up at me, her green eyes completely empty. My breath hitched in my throat. I glanced towards the door. She seemed to get the message and stood up. She still said nothing. I led her to the door, with one quick look back at Dumbledore. He was still staring at me. We stepped on to the gargoyle's stairs and it led us down. My heart starting pounding against my chest. I side-glanced at Lily. She was staring ahead, still saying nothing, still emotionless. I gulped. Okay, time to get her to our dorms. We walked carefully, and I could tell, if I wasn't leading her, she'd still be sitting in Dumbledore's office.

Why _her_ parents? They didn't need to go! They did nothing! I felt the tears prickling in my eyes. No, no crying now. They're not my parents, they're hers. She needs the help! We kept walking, and I was trying to walk as fast as I could while dragging her behind me.

"Oh, look who it is!" Why did life hate us today? It was Avery and Snape. Why? WHY? Okay. Deep breath. Deep breath. Just keep walking. They blocked our path in the narrow corridor. Bastards!

"Get out of the way." I muttered, avoiding their eyes. They laughed.

"What? Gone to take the mudblood bitch for a walk?" Snape sneered. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lily's head snap up. Before I could even register that she took her wand out, she had Snape and Avery hung upside down by their ankles. Her face was red and her wand was shaking wildly. She crashed into me, throwing her arms around my neck, and I could feel her hot tears on my shoulders. Oh no. I quickly put an arm around her waist and started rubbing her back. Avery was too busy trying to find his wand to let himself down to notice. Snape, on the other hand, was staring at us, eyes wide, and mouth in a perfect "O." I threw him an annoyed look.

I took her wand that was poking me in the neck from her hands and pocketed it. Now what was I going to do? I couldn't just take her like this; she wouldn't want half the student body seeing her, the Head Girl, and all broken apart like this. I could use my invisibility cloak though! I made sure to disappear from Snape and Avery's view by going into a nearby corridor. It was difficult, since I had to get her to walk, too. But, she seemed to take no notice of it. I threw the cloak over the both of us, not caring enough to see if it was going to cover our feet. I was going to use corridors that no one really went in. But, it was going to be trouble, trying to walk with her.

I picked her up, and started carrying her bridal style. This is much better. It was a good thing I knew how to wear this cloak like my school robes.

She was clutching my shirt like she was holding on for life. I sighed and walked as fast as I could. Why did this have to happen now? This is definitely not the time for anything bad to happen! This year was going on _so_ well. And then…suddenly…this. And to Lily, too! Why not _me_? I was prepared! I have been, for _months_ now! It's just not fair! I started to blink rapidly, trying to avoid the tears. Not now.

"Godric Gryffindor." I said to the portrait, still holding Lily close to me. The portrait looked around, and looked really confused. Oh wait, I still had the cloak on! Easy to forget about this thing. I took it off and the portrait's eyebrows shot up in realization. It took a look at Lily and simply opened. Smart portraits in this place. I climbed in. Finally, we were here at last.

My bed? Or the couch in front of the fire. Maybe my dorm room. There's a bathroom in there. And food. I tried getting up the steps as quickly as I could. Lucky for me, I left my door open this morning. I sat down in my bed and swung my legs up, so I was in an inclined position against the headboard. Lily was just sprawled all over me, still sobbing into my chest. I didn't want to say anything; she'd talk when she stops crying. I stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head.

* * *

"Lily. Where are you going?" I asked groggily, grabbing her wrist. She turned to me and her puffy eyes widened. She'd gotten up off of me because I'd accidentally fell asleep. I woke up because I felt her getting up. I looked towards the clock. It was 7:30. Something told me she wasn't going down for dinner. "Stay." I practically begged. She looked troubled for a second.

"James, I-"

"Lily, please. _Stay_." I pressed. I pulled her back to the bed and moved over so she could sit next to me. I patted the space where I just moved from. "Nice and warm." She didn't even crack a smile, and I immediately felt guilty. Too early for jokes? She slumped down on the bed. I ran a hand through my hair and kept my eyes on her.

"James…" She croaked, sounding like she was going to cry again. She slowly turned to me, and I felt like I was going to cry. Now even closer up, I could see her puffy, bloodshot, sad eyes. Her nose was red and her cheeks were flushed.

"Lily, anytime you're ready." I whispered, carefully taking her hand. She nodded slowly, knowing what I was talking about. I glanced at the clock near her again. The other guys were probably worried…unless Dumbledore told them what happened. That was a horrifying thought, this entire thing being real. Breathe James, breathe. Lily needs you right now. Be horrified about this later. She looked at me again and my breath caught in my throat.

"Why…" She whispered. "Why them? Why now? How?" She looked down at her hands. "All this time, all this time we were worried that Death Eaters were going to find them. And then something so much smaller, so much more innocent, took them." She sounded like a little girl again. It was frightening. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her closer into my chest. She started sobbing again. I was doing surprisingly well for not being able to handle crying girls. Actually, I was just lucky Lily didn't need to hear anything while she was crying, simply a shoulder to cry on.

"It's okay." I started, running my hand through her hair. "Time will heal these wounds, Lily." I continued. In a few months, I'd probably be in her place. I could get what she was saying. My parents were trying to lay low because they were good Aurors. And then, something as small and innocent as Dragon Pox is slowly taking their lives. It really wasn't fair.

"James…" She whispered, looking at me with wide eyes. Then, a small, salty tear slipped into my mouth. That was why she looked a little confused. I was crying, too. _I_ was crying. Not again… It was bad enough the first time I cried in front of her. I pulled her closer and she wrapped her arms around my neck, and we both sat there, rocking and crying all over each other.

"Prongs! Prongs! Prongs! Prongs!" A voice whispered close to my ear. I resisted the urge to groan. I opened my eyes a little and saw Lily first, and the sadness from yesterday filled me. I quickly looked down at us. Okay good, we were still clothed. Bad, James, bad! Head out of gutter.

I turned around to find the source of the noise. Wormtail, Moony, and Padfoot were hovering over me. Their faces were somber. So they knew, too.

"Hi." I said, looking at all three of them. They exchanged glances.

"We brought food up here, just in case." Moony whispered, pointing to my desk, which was piled high with all sorts of food. If Lily was nothing like me, she wouldn't eat any of it. I, on the other hand, might just single-handedly eat it for breakfast. I eat when I'm sad.

"We'll be downstairs if you need anything." Padfoot added.

"Wait, does Marlene know?" I asked, running a hand through my hair.

"Yeah, Dumbledore told us four together." Wormtail said, looking down at the ground.

"Alright, can you guys go downstairs? She's still shaky." I told them, glancing at Lily, who even in her sleep, looked troubled. Moony and Wormtail left. Padfoot stood by the bed, staring at me.

"It'll be okay. We can all get through this together. It'll be okay, mate." Padfoot told me, putting a hand on my shoulder. By the way his grey eyes were knowingly looking into mine, he knew I was thinking about my parents. And I knew he was thinking about them too.

"Same for you." I told him, raising an eyebrow. His eyes softened a bit, and he cleared his throat.

"Yeah...well, I'll be downstairs." He said awkwardly, before quickly leaving. I felt so bad for him. After losing his first set of parents just a year ago, he's about to lose another! I took my glasses off and set them on the table near Lily. The clock said 9 in the morning. Wow, we slept a lot.

"James." Lily murmured. I looked down at her. Her eyes were still closed, and her mouth was slightly ajar. Was she talking in her sleep? "James…don't…go…" She mumbled, sounding more hurt than I'd ever heard her. She was having a nightmare! I should probably wake her up.

"Lily." I whispered, shaking her slightly. "Lily." I said louder, shaking her even more. "Lily." Her eyes shot open. She looked at me. Her eyes were confused, annoyed, lost, and a little bit angry at the same time. She was probably debating whether yesterday was a dream or not. When her mouth turned into a small frown, I assumed she realized yesterday wasn't a dream. I ran a hand through her hair.

"Sorry…you seemed to be having a nightmare…and I thought I should wake you up." I muttered sheepishly. She blinked a few times before nodding. She sat up, and I sat up with her. Her eyes darted towards the food pile on my desk. "Padfoot, Moony, and Wormtail brought it up here for us." She nodded slowly. Her eyes darted towards the bathroom. "Did you want to take a shower?" I asked carefully. She looked at me for a little bit. And then sighed. That's almost never good. I braced myself.

"James, I'm not _crippled_. I mean, yes, I am not feeling my best, but _really_?" She threw me a semi-annoyed look. "No, I probably won't be up for eating for a few days…and I probably won't be in the mood to talk much or go to class…or see people. And please, try not to read me so much, it's quite distracting." She told me, rather frankly in my opinion. I ran another hand through my hair. She reached up and grabbed it. "And stop doing that, too." She told me seriously. She got off the bed, threw open the door, and walked outside. I sighed loudly and put my hands in my head. Why was everything going so wrong suddenly?

"Hey." Padfoot said, sitting down on the bed next to me. I grunted in response. "Don't worry about her. She's probably just _really_ confused." He told me, patting my back. "Hey, what's this?" He asked. He got up off the bed. I raised my head to see what he was talking about. He was facing my desk. He turned around with a letter in hand. "It's addressed to you." He told me, handing it to me. I opened it.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_ I didn't give you too many details yesterday; I wanted to wait until what I told you first sunk in. Just a few things Miss Evans may want to know: Her sister contacted me, just as she did all those years ago. She said that she'd plan any funeral. It will be in a week. And there are some legal matters that must be discussed. Whenever Miss Evans is feeling up to it, she may talk to me about that. Thank you and you have my condolences._

_ Professor Dumbledore

* * *

_**A/N: I know, I know, very late. And yes, I know. This chapter isn't even that good. But I had the worst writer's block ever. And this chapter was horribly difficult to write.**

James' POV is interesting, though. I might do it again.

Review please? We're almost at 200!

Until next Friday (I promise!)

Love,  
SAM :)  



	35. The Funeral

Chapter 35: The Funeral

"Lily, are you ready to go?" James asked, stepping into my room. I turned around and took in his appearance. He was wearing the same suit he wore to Alice's wedding. Other than that, he was simply James. His messy black hair fell over his wire-rimmed glasses. There was only one other change in him: His eyes. They were dull. It seemed so long ago that I saw the carefree light in them. They seemed too guarded now. His eyes were the biggest indication I had to how he was feeling. He ran a hand through his hair. Well, that too. "Lily, you look amazing." He said, coming closer to me. I inhaled.

"Funny, I don't feel amazing." I muttered accidentally. I didn't mean to say that out loud. He took me into his arms and rested his chin on my head. He didn't say anything; simply rubbed my back. He'd been doing that a lot lately, especially since the first night, when I kind of exploded on him. I profusely apologized and he did forgive me, but he was always being more hesitant these days. It was starting to get on my nerves. I pulled away from him. "Come on." I said, leading him to the door. On the way, I glanced at myself in the full-length mirror. My hair was falling messily over my shoulders, my eyes were swollen and had dark circles around them, and the white dress was kind of loose around my body.

"Lily, when was the last time you ate?" James asked slowly, looking down my body, as though it was only dawning on him. I kept my head down and kept walking down my stairs. "Lily." James said, stopping in the middle of our common room. He spun me around to face him. He put a finger under my chin and lifted my head up to meet his eyes. I wanted to close my eyes immediately. His eyes looked too hurt for me to look at. I quickly looked away, trying to get that image out of my head. "Lily, look at me." He pleaded. He sounded so _hurt_. My heart was beating quickly now, but I forced myself to look at him. His eyes were confused, more than hurt. "When was the last time you ate?" He asked again, this time softer and more cautiously.

"I don't remember." I told him honestly. He took a breath.

"Lily, why?" He asked, pain cutting into his voice. I bit my lip.

"I'm never hungry." I told him truthfully, shrugging my shoulders.

"Lily, we're going to talk about this later, alright?" James asked fiercely. I flinched.

"We should get going." I mumbled, dropping my eyes from his.

"Yeah." He agreed. But, the way he was saying it, I could tell he felt bad about his tone from before. I decided not to acknowledge it, and simply led him to the portrait hole. We stepped through and found Sirius, Remus, and Peter walking up our stairs.

"Well, we should go!" Sirius said. Remus and Peter sent him warning looks. They were all trying to be _so_ guarded around me, and only Sirius wasn't holding back that much. "Alex and Marlene said they'd meet us in Dumbledore's office." He continued, as though Remus and Peter hadn't quietly reprimanded him. "Come, come!" He said, taking my free hand, and leading me down the stairs. I looked back in time to see Remus, James and Peter exchange worried glances. We all walked down the stairs and started walking in the direction of Dumbledore's office. Suddenly, Sirius seemed to get tired of the silence, so he began singing. "Oh, we're off to see the wizard! The Wonderful Wizard of Oz! You'll find he is a whiz of a Wiz! If ever a Wiz! There was. If ever, oh, ever a Wiz! There was The Wizard of Oz is one-"

"PADFOOT!" Remus barked, interrupting Sirius. This effectively silenced him. We reached the gargoyle and it opened for us without us having to say anything. I guess Dumbledore told it we were coming. We stepped on the bottom stair and it took us up to his door. Before we could knock, Dumbledore's voice came through the door.

"Come in!" He said. I'd become much too familiar with this place. I'd been here three times in the last week. The first was exactly a week ago, when he first delivered the shocking news to me. The second was a few days after that, when he told me when the funeral was. And the last time was the day after that, when he said we needed to discuss legal matters.

He told me that since I was not yet 18, by muggle law, I was technically not allowed to inherit anything that my parents left me, and it was under Petunia's control until I did turn 18. I did allow it, hoping that maybe she wasn't so evil that she'd try to take the money and belongings that were mine. The house went to the government and whatever money they got off of it, would be split between me and Petunia. I refused to go back to the house, so they just had everything that was mine transferred to my parents' bank account. Dumbledore told me that once I turned 18, everything that was mine would be transferred to a bank account in Gringotts, if I wished. I told him that it would be fine, and so he arranged that a bank account would be opened for me there. I was thankful that I had Dumbledore, who was so willing to sort all of this out for me.

Marlene and Alex were already inside, and they were just as somber as when I last saw them a few days ago.

"Now that we're all here you can-" Dumbledore started.

"Professor," I started, unable to stop myself. All eyes turned to me. "I was wondering…if you'd come with us?" I finished quietly. Everyone besides Dumbledore looked really confused. I could feel my face grow hot. Dumbledore studied me for a few moments.

"Of course Lily, I'd be honored." Dumbledore said politely. What possessed me to ask _that_ question? I barely registered as Dumbledore put down the apparition wards around his office and we all apparated to the church the funeral was being held at. We all appeared near the back of a church. People in white and black seemed to be just leaving. I guess we arrived on time: At the end. That was good. No one would notice Dumbledore's peculiar clothing.

James slipped his hand into mine. I took a huge breath. It'll be okay. I looked to Marlene, and she gave me a weak, but encouraging smile. The eight of us walked across the lawn to the front of the church. Petunia was sobbing quietly with Vernon at her side, rubbing her back comfortingly. I was glad at least someone was there for her. I walked up to Petunia, leaving everyone else behind.

"Petunia?" I said quietly. She looked up at me and her eyes widened.

"Lily." She breathed, and hugged me before I could say anything. I held in a sob, and tried to forget the fact that she never hugged me like this. I tried to forget that she probably wouldn't after this day. I put my arms around her, and as she cried, I tried to hold in my tears. She pulled back after a really long time. "Over here, come." She whispered, tugging on my hand. I looked back quickly to the seven behind me, watching the scene. "They can come too." She told me hoarsely, and led me towards the grassy cemetery. I turned back around as we walked, and motioned for them to come. At first, they hesitantly looked at each other, but with another wave of my hand, they started walking forward. I turned back around to Petunia.

"Thanks for trying to reach me." I told her quietly. She gave me a startled look. "I know it was hard for you, trying to contact Professor Dumbledore, especially after the last time. So, thanks." I said again, looking down. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that she bit her lip, and was clearly trying not to say something. We zigzagged through the graves and finally arrived at two of them. They were identical and new. There were flowers all around it, and the graves were definitely the liveliest there. Petunia quickly elapsed into loud sobs again as she held on to me tightly. I felt James' hand touch my shoulder lightly. I looked up at him, and he was looking down at me, with apologetic eyes that made me shift uncomfortably. Petunia moved back into Vernon's arms, so James wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer to him.

"Lily, if I may." Dumbledore said, pulling out his wand. Vernon looked on with disgust, and Petunia chose to bury her head in his chest, not wanting to watch. I nodded numbly. With a few waves of his wand, sparks fell over the flowers. "The flowers'll live forever now." He told me with a gentle smile.

"Thank you, Professor." I whispered. He nodded and gave me a small smile.

"You're welcome, Lily." He said. "Now, I think I'll get going, if you don't mind." He asked me. I shook my head.

"Not at all, sir. Thank you for coming." I told him. He smiled again before turning on the spot and apparating away. Marlene came and stood beside me, with Alex right next to her. She rubbed my shoulder encouragingly and then cleared her throat.

"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Evans. It's a shame I never got to meet you, really. But, judging by Lily and Petunia, you were probably very nice people. Lily's in good hands though," She glanced towards James really quickly, "And she has wonderful friends. I can tell Petunia will be just fine, too." Her voice started cracking and she stepped back a little, and Alex put an arm around her shoulders. Then, Remus cleared his throat.

"Mr. and Mrs. Evans, I unfortunately haven't seen you in a while, since the Christmas of 5th year actually, when Lily introduced me as one of her friends. Mr. Evans, you particularly didn't like me, but as soon as I explained that it was James you had to worry about, and not me, you seemed fine." Remus said quietly. He conjured flowers and put them both on the graves.

"If you guys don't mind, can you go back to the church? I want to…" I said, gesturing the graves. Vernon and Petunia turned around immediately. They probably wanted to stay as far away from us as possible. Marlene and Alex both gave me small smiles and turned to leave, too. Sirius gave me a quick hug before leaving with Remus. Only James remained. "James, if you don't mind…alone?" I said quietly. He nodded, and ran a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, yeah, sure." He muttered, his face falling just a bit. He pulled me in for a hug and kissed the top of my head.

"Thanks." I said. He nodded, and quickly left back to the church. I took a deep breath and faced the graves again. I went on my knees, glad there was grass under me. "Hi mum, dad." I said. I cleared my throat. "If I knew the last time I was going to see you was on the Platform, I would have said so much more. I'm just happy I got the chance to say that I love you. I'm happy I got to hug both of you. I'm happy that we ended on a good note." My voice cracked just a bit. I cleared my throat again, and refused to let myself cry. "There were so many times when I was unhappy with you, or we got into fights. But we always resolved them. You two are the best parents a child could ask for. And I know you'll always be with me. Thank you. Thank you for letting me go to school where I am now. You could've said no, you could've refused to let me go, let me leave for so long, to go so far away. I know you had to deal with Petunia and me at our worst, when we were always fighting, and it probably hurt you to see that your only two daughters didn't get along at all. Separately, we each turned out to be great people, we just had different views. Thank you for everything you've done for me. Everything from bringing me into this world, to accepting James. It was probably difficult, dad, to allow your youngest daughter to date someone who means that much to me. He means the world to me, dad, and I'm glad you accepted him. It means a lot to him, too. I love you both so much." I swallowed some tears again. I took a huge breath to calm down. Once my heart stopped racing, I conjured some flowers, and put them on the graves, just as Remus had done. I got back on my feet and looked at the graves one last time before turning around to meet my friends at the church again.

"Hey, Lily." Remus smiled as he saw me approach. I gave him a weak smile. Sirius ran towards me and crushed me with a hug.

"Feeling better?" He whispered into my ear.

"Yeah." I replied, equally quietly. He pulled back and gave me a wide smile that I hadn't seen in a while. I couldn't help but smile back. James came forward and gave Sirius a warning look. I sighed loudly. Six sets of alarmed eyes were on me. "Come on." I said impatiently, dragging James to a corner of the church. Remus raised his eyebrows. Sirius pretended to stroke his 'beard', and Alex, Marlene, and Peter looked just confused.

"Lily…" James said as I dragged him. I ignored him until we were out of earshot of the others. I turned around to face him and angrily crossed my arms over my chest. He looked at me, completely confused. He honestly had no idea what he was doing wrong?

"James, do you know why I dragged you over here?" I asked him slowly, with a reprimanding tone. He shook his head.

"No idea." He said quietly.

"Do you remember when I yelled at you last week?" I asked, hoping to clear it up. He looked hesitant at first, but then slowly nodded his head. "Will you stop?" I said as more of a statement, rather than a question. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "You're being all _fragile_ around me again. There's no need for that! There's no reason for you to hold back on anything! Saying anything that you normally would _isn't_ going to hurt my feelings! If there's anything that would help me, it's you being _you_. I'm not going to kill you because you crack a joke or something!" I took a pause to breathe and he started rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. "And will you _please_, _please_, stop giving me those looks of pity? It's driving me insane!" I huffed.

He grabbed me by my shoulders and kissed me. I missed this. I haven't kissed him in a week. That was _much_ too long. He poured all his passion and love into a kiss that made my knees week. He pulled back much too quickly, completely breathless.

"I love you _so much_." James said, putting his forehead on mine. I put my arms around his neck and kissed him back again, with just as much enthusiasm, but for a shorter time.

"Nice to see you're back." I smiled.

"Nice to see _you're_ back." He shot back, giving me a genuine smile.

"Nice to see that _both_ of you are back!" Sirius said, appearing next to us. James and I jumped, and ended up hitting our heads together.

"OW!" We yelled together.

"And you're starting to say things together again! It's so beautiful!" Sirius choked out, pretending to cry. He threw his arms around our shoulders. "My Prongs and my dear Lily-flower are _normal_ again!" Sirius announced, walking us over to the others. Remus and Peter smiled wide, and joined us in a huge group hug.

"Uh…guys…personal space." I choked out.

"You didn't exactly care about Prongs violating your personal space just a few minutes ago." Peter pointed out.

"That's because it's my _job_ to violate her personal space, Wormtail." James smiled, managing to find me under the other Marauders' hugs, and pulled me towards him. "Mine." He told them all, growling slightly. I giggled a little bit. Marlene and Alex joined in, and suddenly, we were all hugging each other.

"Uh. Guys. This is starting to get awkward." Remus said.

"You think this is awkward? At least you're not in the middle of this thing!" I told him. They finally moved away. "Thank you!" I huffed, straightening myself out again. They all laughed.

"Nice to see you're back, Lily-flower." Sirius smiled, giving me a bear hug again.

* * *

**A/N: First, THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS! WE REACHED 200!  
and I hope you liked this chapter better. Personally, I liked it better, even though it is rather short.**

So, until next Friday,

**Love,  
SAM :)  
**


	36. On the Road

Chapter 36: On the Road

The winter weather was starting to settle in, and I had to get up to shut my window. I spotted James doing his pre-match routine outside. Yes, today was the Hufflepuff vs. Gryffindor match. This year, the Gryffindor team was on fire, and there was no doubt in anyone's mind that we were going to win the House Cup. I sat down in front my homework, and just sat there, not wanting to start it again. I needed a break.

The week after the funeral was a lot better than the days before. I felt better, and consequently, so did everyone else around me. I still missed my parents, but there was nothing much I could do. I spent the week after the funeral catching up on homework, and getting missed lessons from my friends, who'd been dutifully attending the classes, so I could get the work. I talked with the professors, and by the end of that week, I was all caught up, so I was back in class fairly quickly.

The entire school had pretty much figured it all out. We didn't know who leaked the information, but I really didn't care that much. The week I came back into school, people were offering condolences, and I was flattered that people were genuinely sorry for me. I didn't really want their pity, but knowing they cared just made it better. The Slytherins really never bothered us for a while, once again, a reason unknown. But James seems to have a fair idea why, because he gets this knowing look in his eyes whenever he sees Snape. I didn't want to question the look…he'd tell me if he thought it was important enough.

And then there's Snape. He's been giving me weird looks lately. I don't know what it is, but ever since I hung him by an ankle and literally broke down in tears right in front of him, he's been giving me these weird looks and I didn't know why. I didn't really talk to James about it, but I had the feeling he'd picked up on them anyway. These weird looks were indescribable. I couldn't even read them anymore, because he'd become a totally different person. He seems more closed up than ever.

A knock came at my door.

"Hey, Lily, are you ready to go?" Marlene asked, poking her head into my room. I nodded and quickly brushed my hair.

"Yeah, I'm good now, let's go." I said, following her down the stairs.

"Alex and the rest of the Marauders are outside the Portrait." She told me.

"I'm glad you didn't tell them the password." I sighed in relief. She gave me a small smile.

"Lil, they already know the password." She told me, shaking her head slightly. I crinkled my nose.

"I'll talk to James about changing it later, then." I frowned. We went through the portrait hole, and just as she said, Alex, Remus, Peter, and Sirius were outside, talking.

"Hufflepuff's going to lose by at least 200, guaranteed." Alex said.

"Oh definitely, they haven't been doing so well recently, and with Gryffindor in better shape than it's been all year, they're no match for us." Remus added.

"I don't even think they'll be getting too many goals in, I say three at the most." Sirius said, and the other boys nodded in agreement.

"Can we take this fascinating discussion to the match, please?" Marlene asked, rolling her eyes. Out of all of us, she was the only one who didn't follow Quidditch religiously.

"Actually, the Hufflepuffs know how to change their game based on the players' strengths. Their plays are really flexible like that. This match won't difficult for Gryffindor, but they can't just sit back, either. Especially since the Hufflepuffs have the best keeper." I told them. Marlene sighed loudly.

"Not you, too." She groaned.

"Lily-flower's always been a Quidditch follower." Sirius smirked. "I mean, I'm sure you _love_ Prongs' toned body, huh?" I turned red.

"I'm sure you enjoy it more, Sirius." I told him, raising my eyebrow.

"Uh, guys. Is there something you need to tell us?" Peter asked, wearing an amused smirk.

"Yes, Sirius and James are gay. They are moving to South America to start a new life." I told him, miraculously keeping my face straight. Sirius sighed dramatically.

"You caught us! I'm sorry, Moony, I can't keep this in much longer! I love you, but I love James _so_ much more! He _always_ gives me what I want! I'm sorry Lily-flower, I'm sorry for stripping you of Prongsie! Our forbidden love is too much to ignore! Please forgive us!" He announced loudly, falling to my feet and grabbing on to my leg. I giggled.

"Sirius, get up, the match is about to start!" I told him, rolling my eyes just the slightest. Remus and Peter exchanged a wary glance.

"Remus, aren't you commentating again? Aren't you supposed to be down there already?" Alex said randomly, turning to Remus. Remus slapped a hand to his forehead.

"Oh man, I can't believe I forgot!" He shouted in disbelief. "McGonagall's going to have my neck!" He raced downstairs and out of sight.

"Well, now it's just us five!" Sirius said cheerily. Alex and Marlene exchanged a glance and looked back at Sirius.

"Actually…" Marlene started. I groaned.

"Don't leave me with these two!" I begged. She gave me a sheepish smile.

"Sorry, Lily, but after the last time…" She glanced at Sirius. "Never again." She said before leaving with Alex. They waved a goodbye.

"Now I'm stuck with you two." I muttered dejectedly.

"Lily, you sound so disappointed!" Peter said, smiling mischievously.

"Yeah Lily-flower, you should be happy! Come, come!" Sirius gave me a smile identical to Peter's and linked his arms with mine and Peter's. I groaned again. "Please, please, save those noises when you're with Prongs." Sirius said. I kicked him. We made our way down stairs, all while Sirius was humming some song. Then, he seemed to decide humming wasn't enough. "_We are the champions, my friend! We'll keep on fighting til the end! We are the champions, no time for losers, we are the champions-_"

"Sirius!" I barked.

"It's a good song!" He defended.

"Yes, yes, as much of a decent singer you are, there have been too many songs." I reprimanded him.

"Yeah, you started singing that wizard muggle song on the way to Dumbledore's office _again_!" Peter pointed out.

"And McGonagall caught you, and yelled at you!" I reminded him. "Honestly, singing the _Wizard of Oz_ on the way to see Dumbledore…" I muttered, shaking my head. "Why didn't I think of that?" I wondered. Sirius smirked.

"Because I've got a lot up here!" He said proudly, tapping his head.

"By 'a lot', I think you mean a lot of empty space." Peter muttered. I laughed.

"Why are you all against me?" Sirius sighed dramatically. I hit him on the upside of the head, but then regretted it, because he yelled, "ABUSE!" causing many heads to turn. It seemed to happen much too often when he was around.

"Oh, be quiet! You're so dramatic!" I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest.

"No! Don't break the chain!" Sirius yelled in horror. I rolled my eyes. We walked the rest of the way in near silence, since Sirius kept humming different songs.

"Welcome to the Hufflepuff vs. Gryffindor match!" Remus started, and I was just grateful Sirius decided to keep quiet, and actually listen for once. We were going to sit next to the Hufflepuffs originally, but they kicked us out since we were Gryffindors. We debated sitting with the Ravenclaws, but we figured they wouldn't be as interested in the match. We didn't even consider the Slytherins, so that left us with our own house. We found Marlene and Alex, who were nice enough to save us some room even though Marlene wasn't too keen on it. "And the match begins!" Remus called out. "Chaser Potter takes the Quaffle, weaves through Hufflepuff chasers, dodges Bludger, passes to another Gryffindor chaser….and GOAL!" Remus yelled. All the Gryffindors started cheering. "Score's 10-0 Gryffindor, and we're not even three minutes into the game. It seems as though this match will be in Gryffindor's favor!"

"This is great. We're definitely going to win Quidditch cup this year!" Marlene said happily.

"And with these four," I pointed to Sirius and Peter, "in check this year, we'll probably get the House Cup, too!" I smiled.

"Pretty nice way to leave the school, huh?" Marlene said with a nostalgic smile. I didn't really want to think about that. The thought of leaving the school kind of scared me. I've been through so much with this school; I honestly didn't want my days here to end. And truthfully, I was kind of scared of what was out there. Being in the real world, during an almost full-fledged war! Inside Hogwarts, we were safe.

"Wow, and the score's already 30-all!" Remus yelled, bring me out of my reverie. "This is one of the most fast-paced matches we've seen this year!" It was true, the match was moving along quickly. And it was crazy how many goals were already scored. "Oh wow, is that the Gryffindor seeker going for the Snitch already?" Remus yelled in disbelief. I quickly located John flying towards the Hufflepuff Goals. The Hufflepuff seeker was on the complete other side of the pitch. There was no way she was going to get there first. The snitch moved up, and John followed it. It kept travelling up, and up, and he kept extending his arm. He leaned forward just a bit more, and his broom went just a little bit forward, and the Snitch was in his hand! "The Gryffindor seeker caught the Snitch! Gryffindor wins! 180-30! This puts Gryffindor in a great position, for the Quidditch cup and the House cup!" Remus yelled appreciatively. Marlene and Sirius both cheered, and hugged me. Marlene immediately pulled away, realizing Sirius was there, but Sirius picked me up.

"We won!" He said happily. I rolled my eyes.

"Good job, Sherlock. Now put me down!" He put me down and looked at me confused. Alex, Marlene and Peter's expressions were just as confused. "You know Muggle songs, but you don't know Muggle literature?" I asked Sirius. Peter laughed.

"Padfoot…and _books_…yeah right!" He said. Sirius pouted. I rolled my eyes.

"You can't win here, you know it's true!" I told him, patting him on the shoulder. "I'm going to go find James." I announced. I quickly weaved through the people, who were too busy talking with their friends to notice me bumping into them. I quickly walked off the area, and back near the school where the locker rooms were. I threw open the door and walked in. James was right there. And without a shirt. I gulped. My eyes raked over his toned chest and stomach. Yes, I do love Quidditch _very_ much. James looked up.

"Oh, hi Lily. Didn't see you there!" He said, giving me a big smile. He walked over to me, looking absolutely like a _God_, and hugged me. He forgot he didn't have a shirt on. I wrapped my arms around his neck. I wasn't complaining.

"You guys did well today. Congratulations!" I replied, struggling a bit to keep my eyes locked with his.

"Thanks." He was still grinning as broadly as ever. I found it hard to concentrate on him, when every part of my upper body was pressed against his bare chest. I couldn't stand this much longer.

"James?" I asked quietly. He raised an eyebrow. "Can you please put on a shirt?" He laughed.

"Am I making you nervous?" He asked with a cheeky grin. I didn't answer; only started to turn red. He pushed me up against the closest wall. "I don't think you want that." He smirked. I had to stop myself from shaking my head.

"Someone's going to see us." I muttered, running a hand through his hair.

"Nope. Everyone left. I gave my after-match talk, and they all immediately left. I stayed back to take a quick shower." He smiled. Well, in that case…

I put my lips to his and he wasted no time in getting his tongue in my mouth. My hands moved down from his hair to his neck. His hands, too, traveled lower, down to the hem of my shirt. My hands moved down to his bare shoulders, and roamed around that area. He hands slipped under my shirt and he put them around my bare skin, and backed me farther into the wall. He started kissing down my neck. I let out a soft moan when he hit a particularly sensitive spot.

"You know, it's definitely not fair that I keep my shirt on while yours is off." I told him, giving him a mischievous smile. He looked up at me, obviously very surprised.

"Are you sure?" He asked. His fingers were moving around slowly around my stomach area. I smirked at him again.

"If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't have said anything." I assured him. That seemed to be all he needed. In one swift movement, my shirt was off and on the ground. It was like a feeling I'd never experienced before. His warm, strong body was pressed against mine, and his arms were wrapped around me, his scent completely enveloping me. His warm breath tickled me as he kissed my neck for a little bit before returning to my mouth. I slid my hands down to his chest and he let out a low, guttural moan. He pulled away quickly.

"Lily Evans," He said, completely breathless, "you're going to _kill_ me one day." He muttered. "We need to stop now, though. Otherwise I won't be able to." His eyes looked over my body a few times, and I felt myself go red, suddenly a little self-conscience.

"Have I ever told you how much I love Quidditch?" I asked him seductively, now looking over his body. He shook his head mutely, and his eyes momentarily glazed over. I grinned mischievously again.

"Like I said, one day, you will be the death of me." He muttered as he bent down to pick up my shirt on the ground and handed it to me. It was kind of wet.

"How'd it get wet?" I asked him.

"The ground's wet. I just took a shower, remember? The water must've splashed every where as I got out." He decided. I was about to put it on anyway, but he stopped me. "No, it's cold outside! You're going to get sick!" He walked over to his bag, and pulled out one of his own shirts and threw it at me. I caught it, and looked at it. It was the blue shirt I bought him for Christmas last year. I looked back at him. He rolled his eyes. "It's not going to bite. It is the one _you_ bought me!" He reminded me.

"Oh, I know." I muttered, putting it on, as he put on a shirt himself.

"Don't get me wrong, I like that shirt, but honestly, it looks better on you." He said, running a hand through his hair. I rolled my eyes.

"Thanks. Now come on, pack up your stuff. We should get going. The others will probably wonder where we are." I told him with a small eye roll. He packed up the rest of his stuff, my shirt included, and put it in his bag. He put the bag on his shoulder, and held my hand as we walked out. We walked across the lawn to get to the other side of the school. In a quick motion, James removed his hand from mine, and then quickly put it around my shoulder, pulling me closer to his side. I gave him a confused look, but he wasn't looking at me. He was glaring at something ahead. I followed his line of sight and inwardly groaned. It was a few Slytherins: Snape, Avery, and Crabbe. We met in the middle, and everyone looked _really_ mad. Well, except for me. I probably looked really confused. For a few seconds it seemed as though nothing would happen, but I saw Snape's hand twitch towards his pocket. Within a blink of an eye, Snape, James and I had our wands out and pointed at each other.

"You bastard." Snape muttered, keeping his eyes on James. James' nostrils flared, and I had the feeling that the only thing holding him back was the fact that he was Head Boy. I lowered my wand, and more forcibly, James'.

"Put your wand down." I told Snape forcefully, while still trying to force James' hand down. I glanced back at James, and gave him a warning look.

"You can't tell me what to do!" Snape snarled.

"On the contrary! I have authority over you, and therefore can tell you what to do. Now put your wand down before I take off points or give you a detention." I threatened. He flicked his wand, and before I could do anything, James was thrown off his feet and flew backwards. "Idiots!" I muttered under my breath. I looked behind me to make sure James was fine. He just seemed to be knocked off his feet. "Twenty points off Slytherin for attacking the Head Boy! And I think another detention, since you are a prefect!" I yelled at him. Snape merely glared. James appeared by my side again. "Are you okay?" I asked him quietly.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He murmured back. I took James' hand and walked around them. When I turned back around, they were walking in the direction opposite from us.

"They honestly just can't leave us alone, can they?" I vented angrily.

"Don't let it get you." He said, rubbing my back encouragingly.

"Oh man!" I stopped abruptly. James gave me a confused look.

"Today's the first Slug Club party!" I said, slapping my palm to my forehead. James looked at me confused. "I'm obliged to go, I told him I thought it was a great idea two weeks ago!" I explained dejectedly. "And you're coming." I added. He was invited, but he avoided talking about it for a week now.

"What? I don't want to!" He whined. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"You're coming, whether you like it or not." I repeated.

"Alright, fine. But I'm not going to like it!" He pouted.

"Yeah, well me too, but I'm going anyway." I told him with a small eye roll.

* * *

"SIRIUS!" I yelled. "YOU LOOK GREAT. NOW LET'S GO!" He was in the bathroom, spending time on his hair, longer than _I_ had taken to get ready! After I put on my black dress, I came downstairs into mine and James' common room, and I saw James, Peter, and Remus, all dressed up…and playing Exploding Snap. They explained Sirius was working on his hair, and they got tired of waiting.

"Merlin, woman! Calm down!" He muttered, opening the door. He rolled his eyes. I growled a little, and he stepped back in fear. I grabbed his arm, threw the comb out of his hand and on to James' bed, and dragged him to the door. "NO! NOT MY COMB!" He yelled. I hit him on the head, and started dragging him behind me down the stairs. James, Remus and Peter were rolling around in laughter, watching the scene. I took a deep breath. I was going to need a _lot_ of patience for tonight.

"Oh, get up you three! The sooner we go there, the sooner we can come back!" I told them. They didn't respond. I took Sirius' arm once again, and dragged him to the other side of the common room, and out the portrait hole.

"Why me?" He complained.

"Because you were closest." I snapped. "Okay, I'm going to give them one minute…if they're not out before then, we're leaving with out them!"

"This is James," Sirius scoffed. "Wherever you go, he'll follow you around like a lost puppy." I was about to retaliate when James climbed out of the portrait hole, indeed looking kind of confused. He face brightened when he met my eyes. I started to laugh, and I looked at Sirius. "You see?" He gestured James with a wild hand motion. James looked between us, even more confused than before. I shook my head. Remus and Peter came climbing out.

"YES! We're all here, let's get moving!" I told them all. James put an arm around my waist and we walked down the steps, with Remus, Peter, and Sirius on our tail. "Do you think the Slytherins will be there?" I whispered to James. We hadn't told Remus, Peter or Sirius about the Slytherin mini-attack we had earlier today. Remus would try to make us tell Dumbledore, and Sirius would probably want to go strangle the Slytherins for even attacking James.

"I don't know, possibly. You know how Slughorn is, he likes people with connections. And most of the Slytherins have that. I mean, the only reason Padfoot and I were invited was because of our families." He pointed out. Remus and Peter were only coming because we were dragging them along. They didn't seem to want to come.

"What are we talking about?" Sirius whispered, creeping up next to me. I jumped up slightly.

"Don't do that!" I screeched, and hit him on the shoulder.

"Ow, that hurt!" Sirius whined, rubbing the spot where it hit him. I quickly looked behind me.

"Wait, where'd Remus and Peter go?" I asked Sirius and James.

"They probably _did_ run, I thought I heard them talking about it earlier." Sirius explained. I rolled my eyes.

"They got all dressed up for nothing!"

"It took them like two seconds." James told me.

"Why'd it take _you_ longer?" I asked.

"Because he wanted to look good for you!" Sirius snickered.

"Yeah, and what's your excuse?" James retorted. Sirius stuck his tongue out at him.

"Oh man, why's it so _cold_?" I shivered. James pulled me closer to him.

"Because the Slytherins are cold, vile people. Therefore, so is their 'dungeon'." Sirius said, looking around as though some monster might jump out at him. James swung open the door to Slughorn's classroom.

"Lily! Lovely Lily! Come, come!" Slughorn boomed. Sirius snickered. I elbowed him in the stomach. His gasp of pain made Slughorn notice him. "And look, you've brought Mr. Black and Mr. Potter!"

"Hello, Professor!" Sirius said, giving Slughorn a broad smile. Suck-up! I waited for James to say something, but he didn't. I looked up at him. His mouth was set in a straight line, and he was staring straight ahead. I followed his line of sight and he was watching Snape. Snape's expression was identical. This staring showdown was seriously creepy.

"Come, come, Lily - and you, too, Severus! - There're people I want you to meet!" Slughorn boomed. I looked at James, and he dropped his arm from my shoulder. I looked at him pleadingly, and he gave me an encouraging half-smile. Snape came over to us, and Slughorn started leading us to the other side of the room. They were older wizards. "These people, Lily, may help you become a Healer, if you choose to go to that path." Slughorn told me. I rolled my eyes. Slughorn always wanted me to be a Healer, but I was too interested in becoming an Auror. "Same with you, Severus." He added. Snape, a _Healer_? No, he'll be pursuing a career in the Dark Arts, aka Death Eater.

"Hello, Horace! Are these the two you mentioned?" One of the stouter wizards asked. Slughorn nodded proudly.

"This is Lily Evans." He said, putting a hand on my shoulder. I stifled urge to roll my eyes.

"Nice to meet you!" I said politely, giving the old Wizard the most angelic smile I had. Slughorn then left me with the wizard, dragging Snape somewhere. I wanted to beg Slughorn to not leave me here. Instead, the Wizard launched into a large description of his job. I tuned him out for the partially, since I had to make sure I said "oh" and "that's interesting!" and "definitely" at the right places. I just hoped that someone would rescue me soon.

* * *

"Lily, we need to get back!" Sirius said, coming up to me almost an hour later. I threw him a grateful look.

"I'm sorry, sir, it appears it's our curfew. It was nice meeting you." I told the wizard. He smiled in response and turned to talk to the person next to him. I walked away with Sirius, and when we were far enough away from him, I sighed in relief. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I said to Sirius, hugging him quickly.

"It was kind of funny, watching you and your reactions to him droning on, and him being oblivious to it all." Sirius chuckled. "Let's get out of here."

"Yeah, we should. Wait, where's James?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows. Sirius rolled his eyes, and simply pointed. I followed where he was pointing, and he was at the food, with Snape. I smacked a hand to my forehead. "Stay here?" I asked Sirius. He nodded. I walked forward to James, and they both turned to me when they saw me coming. "James, we're leaving." I told him.

"Good. And it's nice to see that the elderly wizard has stopped molesting you." James muttered, looking darkly in the direction of where I was before. I rolled my eyes.

"He was _not_ molesting me!" I told him, a smile tugging at my lips. He raised an eyebrow. "Oh, shut up. Let's go!" I muttered, taking his hand.

* * *

**A/N: And that was the longest chapter I've written in a REALLY long time. Hoped you guys liked it :)  
**

**PS: Sorry for getting this in so late, FF wouldn't let me update, and I'm sure most of you are experiencing these problems, too! :P  
(and you all have _S0phfeist_ to thank for this update!)**__

**Until next Friday,**

**Love,**

**SAM :)  
**


	37. Don't Go

Chapter 37: Don't Go

I made a move to lift her trunk, but she stopped me with a hand. She pointed her wand at the trunks and levitated both of them up to the racks while rolling her eyes at me. I gave her a sheepish smile. It's the Christmas holidays and the boys, Lily, and I decided to go to my parents' house. I was a little worried about asking Lily to come, but finally, when I did, she warmly accepted. Padfoot slid open the compartment door, looking proud of himself. If he hadn't sworn of girls, I would've thought he just got laid.

"What'd you do?" I asked eagerly. He gave me an affronted look.

"What makes you think I did anything?" He demanded, sitting across from me and Lily.

"Your shoulders were back, your head was held high, and you were smirking. You definitely did something." Lily said as I slid an arm around her waist.

"Fine." He sighed. Always the drama. He leaned closer to us. "I took Moony's chocolate stash." He whispered.

"You WHAT?" I yelled, causing Lily to jump a little. "Wait, how'd you find it? We've been looking for it for _ages_!"

"It was completely by accident." He confessed. "See, I accidentally pushed The Map behind Moony's bedside table. So I leaned over to reach behind it, picked it up, and as I was rising, I kind of jumped, because I hit my hand on the table, and I hit something. I looked around, but there was nothing there. So I did _Finite Incantatem_ randomly in the air, hoping to hit something, and after a few tries, a bag hanging mid air appeared. I looked inside, and saw his chocolate stash. And then I stole it, and ran." He finished proudly.

"PADFOOT!" Moony yelled, appearing at the compartment door and looking absolutely murderous. Padfoot smiled back at him gleefully while Moony threw him a glare. It was actually really fun to watch these two argue and fight. I exchanged a glance with Lily and she rolled her eyes. She put her feet up on the seat and curled into my side a little more.

"Good day, Moony. How absolutely _sniffing_ to see you!" Padfoot gave him a wide smile.

"I know you have my chocolate stash!" Moony barked with a voice I rarely heard him use. Someone's a bit possessive! Padfoot didn't say anything, only smiled back at him. Then, Moony's grimace started to turn into more of a smirk. He crossed his arm and nonchalantly sat next to Padfoot. Now, Padfoot's wide smile flattered. "I guess I don't have to give you MY awesome Christmas present I bought at _Quality Quiddtich Supplies_." Moony stressed. Padfoot's eyes went as wide as Galleons.

"Woah, taking it TOO far there, Moony." I shook my head. "Blackmailing with _Quidditch_? That definitely wasn't nice." I said. Lily laughed, but Moony raised an eyebrow at me.

"While you still have my chocolate stash, I'm not giving you your present from _Quality Quidditch Supplies_." He stressed again. I could see various parts of Padfoot twitch: His eyes, his mouth, his hand and his leg. He finally jumped up, pulled out a bag from his trunk and pushed it into Moony's hands.

"HERE!" He huffed, sitting back down and crossing his arms over his chest with a put-out look.

"Well, think about it this way- at least you found it once." Wormtail said, opening the compartment door and sliding into the area between Padfoot and Moony.

"Yeah, we didn't think YOU would find it." I added. Padfoot nodded glumly.

"Wait," He said, furrowing his eyebrows, "What's _that_ supposed to mean?" He demanded.

"I believe it was an implication of your frequent stupidity." Lily offered.

"You guys are so mean!" He huffed angrily, and retreated to the corner near the window.

"James," Lily whispered. Padfoot, Moony, and Wormtail had finally fallen asleep and Lily was currently on my lap, her body resting against my chest. I looked down at her. She cautiously bit her lip. "Is there something wrong?" She asked. I chuckled softly. "I mean, I know there's something wrong. And I think I know what's wrong, too. I just think you need to say it." She said. I sighed. Why did she always have to be so observant?

"Well, I wasn't sure if I wanted to go home." I confessed, finally letting out what I'd held inside for _so_ long. "I was scared at the thought that they might…pass…while we were there. But I wanted to come, because this'll probably be the last time that I see them." My voice cracked a little at the end. I knew she understood how that felt. I knew that if she could go back in time and visit her parents one more time, she would, so I figured I'd take that opportunity, too. "And then asking you to come was kind of a hard battle…When I talked to them," I gestured Moon, Padfoot and Wormtail's sleeping figures, "They said I should, so we don't leave you here alone." I murmured. She smiled up gratefully at me.

"I'm glad you did ask." She said, turning around in my lap so her legs were around my waist. I gulped.

"Lily…" I moaned, and then realizing how desperate I sounded. She smirked. That little minx! She started to run her hands over my chest, and it sent chills up my body. I tried concentrating on her emerald orbs, but I couldn't. I caught her hands and kissed her enthusiastically on the mouth. She put her arms around my neck, and I pulled her closer to me by the waist, and ran my hands through her hair a few times. I pulled away from her, greatly in need of air, and she turned back into her original position, her legs in between mine, and her back against my chest. I sat back a little in my seat and put my arms around her. She put her hands over mine.

"I love you, James." She whispered, twisting her neck just the slightest to look at me. Every time she said that gave me butterflies in my stomach. I kissed her hair.

"I love you, too." I muttered to her. It was a good thing I decided to bring her along. I closed my eyes for some well-needed sleep. NEWT's, Quidditch, and being Head Boy wore me out.

_Smack_!

"Sirius! I thought I told you not to do that!" Lily screeched. I opened my eyes and groaned. I felt throbbing on the side of my head.

"Ow…" I muttered, moving my arms from around Lily to hold my head.

"Finally!" Padfoot rolled his eyes. "It took you forever, mate. No matter what we did, you only brought her closer to you! It took us half an hour to get you awake. We're almost at the station." Padfoot said. Wormtail was sniggering in the corner and Moony just looked amused. Lily got up off my lap and brought all of our trunks down. The train halted to a stop.

"We're here!" Wormtail said unnecessarily.

"Wormtail, why is that every time we get to King Cross's, you feel the need to say that we've arrived?" Moony asked irately. Wormtail shrugged and gave him a huge grin, which meant he was doing it to annoy him. We left the compartment, and got off the train. I put an arm around Lily's shoulders; I could tell this was hard for her. She kept her eyes glued ahead, and I knew that as soon as we left the station, we'd be fine.

"Uh," I coughed. "I guess we'll all apparate?" I said. They all nodded, and Lily decided to look to the ground. I rubbed her shoulder encouragingly. The other three paused for a moment. I motioned for them to go on. They nodded, and one by one, apparated away. Lily hugged me full force.

"It'll be okay." She whispered in my ear.

"Same goes for you." I said. She pulled back, and I could see the hurt in her eyes. She sighed, and grabbed her trunk, and apparated. I followed. I felt the uncomfortable loss of balance as I neatly landed in front of my door. Padfoot, Moony, Wormtail, and Lily seemed to be waiting for me. I knocked on the door and a few seconds later, Misty opened the door. I was glad to see she was still checking on them frequently.

"Master James!" She squealed in delight. I smiled widely. She was definitely my favorite elf. She moved so I could enter.

"I brought Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Lily with me today." I told her.

"Master Sirius!" She squealed, going over to give him a hug. My jaw dropped in disbelief. I thought _I_ was her favorite! He stuck his tongue out at me. "Allow me," She said, and with a snap of her fingers, out bags disappeared. "Oh, Master James and Master Sirius…oh, and Miss Lily, too, Master Potter would like to see you!" She said, pointing upstairs.

"Help yourself to anything in the kitchen." I told Moony and Wormtail as the four of us went up the stairs.

"Wormtail's already there." Moony rolled his eyes. We walked up the stairs in silence. Padfoot's face looked kind of pained. He was probably having a mental battle with himself. I couldn't see Lily's…her hair surrounded her face and she was looking down. I moved closer to her and put an arm around her waist. We arrived in front of their bedroom, and Misty pushed open the door for us. We entered.

"I'll go help Master Peter and Master Remus with food." She said. I looked at my parents. There were bags under their eyes that were near purple, and looked almost bruised. Their skin was terribly pale, but their smiles were still as jovial as usual.

"Hi mum and dad." I said.

"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Potter." Lily said quietly.

"Nice to see you three again!" Dad chuckled. He took a sip of water from the glass on the table next to him.

"Nice to see you, too." Lily replied in a heartbeat.

"How's school?" Mum asked.

"Pretty good." Padfoot replied. "Just difficult with the work." He shrugged.

"That's because you've never done any work, Sirius." Lily reminded him. My parents chuckled.

"Quidditch season going well?" My dad asked hopefully.

"Yes, we're keeping our fingers crossed." I said.

"He's just being modest." Lily started. My parents started laughing again, and Padfoot even started snickering. And then Lily started joining in.

"Nice to see you all think so highly for me." I grunted.

"Don't worry mate, we do, it's just that you are in no way _modest_ nor have you ever been!" Padfoot said. There have been several occasions where I've been modest! I just can't think of any to defend myself right now!

"Anyway, he's just trying to _not jinx it_," Lily stressed, choosing her words carefully, "I've seen them play, they'll do great. We'll definitely win the Quidditch Cup this year, and maybe even the House Cup!" She said.

"Great!" My dad smiled.

"How's your Head business coming along?" Mum asked.

"It's been going pretty well, only Slytherins are ever _real _trouble." Lily said.

"Otherwise, it's just couples in broom closets or other equally dingy places." I added.

"But what if you two decided to go in one? Would you have take points off yourselves?" Padfoot asked.

"Lily and I have more decency to snog in a place _that_ grimy, Padfoot! We have more class than you do!" I reminded him.

"Hi, we just wanted to come up to see how you're doing…" Moony said, appearing with Wormtail at my side.

"We're doing lovely, Remus, Thank you." Dad said.

"I hope you're all excited for Christmas tomorrow!" Mum said. We all nodded enthusiastically, although, Lily and I did exchange a glance, which did not go unnoticed by my parents. Moony, gratefully, was also tactful enough to notice this.

"Padfoot, Wormtail…why don't we go downstairs?" Moony said. The three exchanged a glance.

"Sure." Wormtail and Padfoot said together, and they all left.

"Lily, we were heartbroken when James told us what happened." Mum told her. "It's very unfortunate that we never got to meet them, and seeing as you're their daughter, they were definitely wonderful people." She said.

"Thank you, Mrs. Potter," Lily said, "They were."

"You all must be tired from the trip here, why don't you sleep? I doubt you've had any for a while." Dad suggested. Lily and I nodded, and left the room.

* * *

I blinked a few times to get adjusted to the light, and looked around. Why was I in _this_ room? This wasn't even Hogwarts…or my own room. I felt something stir next to me. It was Lily! And this was her room. But why was I here? Why was I here and _clothed_? Bad, James, _bad_. _Slap_. _Slap_. Those mental slaps should pull my head out of the gutter! And I vaguely remembered why I was sleeping in Lily's bed.

_The clock had just struck 12, and I still wasn't able to sleep. I had been weeping quietly into my pillow from the time the boys slept, at 9, to just a little while ago. Perhaps a trip to the bathroom would be enough to put me to sleep? I cautiously sat up in my bed, and stepped down, being careful not to make any noises. I successfully made it out of the room without a sound, and I was passing Lily's room when I stopped. The moonlight was shining oddly perfectly on her face, and I could see that her skin was shining. She was sweating, and her hair was sticking to her face! Why was she sweating so much? It's winter! She let out a strangled breath. Could she be having a nightmare? I stepped into the room. _

"_No…" I heard her whisper. "Don't take them, too!" Not again! I thought those type of dreams stopped once she came back from the funeral. Maybe being with my parents again today brought them back? I quickly walked to her bed and shook her._

"Lily," I whispered, "Lily, snap out of it!" I said again. She still wouldn't wake. Well…I could always…I put my lips to hers.

"Mmm…" I heard her sigh. I pulled back. She looked at me with wide eyes. "What happened?" She asked, sitting up.

"You were having a bad dream." I explained. She didn't respond, and I couldn't see her well, so I assumed she was a little confused. "You were sweating." I told her, throwing her the nearest towel. She caught it and wiped her face.

"Does this happen often?" I asked, taking the towel back from her. She started to shake her head, but stopped mid-shake.

"I-I don't know. Occasionally, I'll have one, and remember it, but sometimes, when I wake up, and my sheets are everywhere…I wonder if I had a nightmare that night." She said.

_"Why haven't you told me?" I asked softly, feeling a little hurt. I sat down next to her._

"I don't know," She shrugged. "But you don't tell me yours." She pointed out.

"That's because you wouldn't want to know anyway! They're all about you!" I said. She hit my arm.

"I wasn't talking about that!" She laughed quietly. "I was talking about something else…" I could tell by her voice, she was actually serious about this. "One night, I was up rather late doing homework, and you'd fallen asleep on the couch. Suddenly, you were moaning, and saying things…so I tried waking you up…but you wouldn't wake up, no matter what I did…only when I kissed you did you calm down considerably." She said. What? When did this happen?

"Lily, I don't remember that at all…" I said truthfully.

"So this isn't regular?" She asked.

"Not at all." I responded.

"Okay, well I do believe you, and I'm sorry for not telling you about those nightmares…" She muttered.

"It's okay…but for now, why don't we try sleeping? We definitely need it." I said. I saw her lie back down, and I lay down next to her. She snuggled up to my side.

"Oh, and James?" She said quietly.

"Yes?"

"Happy Christmas." She whispered, moving up and giving me a small, chastise kiss. I held her there for a moment.

"Happy Christmas, Lily."

"GUYS! COME ON!" Padfoot yelled, appearing at the door. Lily groaned loudly and moved closer towards me.

"Lily, he's not going to give up until we get off the bed." I told her. She buried her face into my chest. I laughed and stroked her hair.

"She seems to want you to go to hell, Padfoot." I told him.

"She did _not_ say that!" He protested. Then, Lily flashed him the Universal Sign of Peace, and he gaped in shock. "Lily-flower, I can _not _believe you just gave me the finger!"

"Lily did _what_?" Moony said, appearing at the doorway.

"She showed me _this_ finger!" Padfoot said, pointing to his middle finger childishly. Moony stared at him for a while, and simply turned around and left. "Lily-flower, it's _Christmas_! Come on!" Padfoot complained. She let out a long groan. "Lily! What did I say about those noises? Save them for when you're with Jamsie-poo!" She reached over me, "Lily-flower, please do save this for when I'm not here!" She took the wand from the table next to me and waved it at him. By his appalled look, I could tell it was the silencing charm. She put the wand back on the table and went over me to go into the bathroom. I got up as well, and patted Padfoot on the back as I left the room.

Fifteen minutes later, we were all situated in the living room, where we decided to celebrate today.

"We're all here?" I asked. It seems as though one person was missing… "Misty!" I called out. She appeared with a _crack_!

"Yes, Master James?" She asked.

"Come, sit with us today!" I told her, creating space between me and Padfoot so she could sit. Her smiled was brighter than the star on top of the tree.

"Oh, thank you Master James!" She said happily as she sat down.

"Who's going first?" Padfoot asked eagerly. Lily and I exchanged a glance.

"You can." We said together.

"YES!" He yelled. All of our presents were already in front of us, so he just grabbed the first one. It was Lily's. It was a really warm sweater, and a poster with Puddlemere United on it. From Moony, he got a kit from Quality Quidditch Supplies, as promised, from Wormtail, he got a bag of practical jokes from Zonko's, and from me, I gave him a picture of Muggle girls on a motorcycle.

"Hold on, what's going on here?" Lily asked suspiciously, looking between me and Padfoot. We smirked.

"We might have formulated a plan to go back to Padfoot's old house…" I started.

"And we might have thought of a way to annoy my parents and my brother." He finished. She rolled her eyes.

"Don't tell me until it's over." She said.

"Anyway, I think I'll go next." Wormtail said. We laughed. His would be quick; We only got him food! And indeed, when he opened his presents, there was only food.

Moony went next. Wormtail added to his chocolate stash, Padfoot got him a dog tag that said, 'If lost, please return to Padfoot, who will have similar tag.' and he got one for himself that said the same thing, but it said 'Moony'. Lily got him a muggle contraption called a walkie-talkie, and I got him a few books that Lily recommended.

Lily and I decided to open ours at the same time. First we did Wormtail's gift, which was a book for Lily, and the snitch from my fifth year for me. He actually went around and tried to find it! From Moony, Lily got some new muggle CD that apparently came out recently, and I was delighted to see that my gift was also from Quality Quidditch Supplies! Padfoot surprised us by bringing out four more dog tags, one for me, one for Wormtail, one for Lily, and one for Misty. He also told us that on mine, Wormtail's, his, and Moony's, there was 'Marauders' written on the back, with our names underneath it. Lily's had 'Lily-flower' on it. Misty was beyond delighted when Padfoot gave the dog tag to her, and even _blushed_.

Finally came the time to open our gifts to each other, and honestly, I had a hard time with it. How could I top the necklace and the set of jewelry from last year? And then the picture?

"Oh, James, thank you!" She smiled, giving me a hug. It was a clock with the engraving around it, 'Lily and James, Forever and Always'. I opened her gift, and it was a leather jacket! I put it on, and it fit perfectly!

"Thanks, Lily!" I said, giving her another huge hug.

"You know, sometimes I wonder, who's the man and who the girl in this relationship is." Padfoot muttered.

"And I wonder if there are _two_ girls in the relationship!" Moony laughed, high-fiving Padfoot.

"Sometimes I wonder why I keep you two around…"I muttered.

"Master Potter, I think Miss Potter upstairs would like to see you!" Misty squeaked. I nodded.

"Thank you, Misty." I said, shrugging off the jacket, and placing it on the ground next to Lily. As I left the room to go upstairs, I could hear the faint arguing between Lily and Padfoot about being sexist. I pushed open my parents' door. "Happy Christmas." I said to them.

"Happy Christmas!" They replied back. Then, they exchanged a glance.

"This'll be our last Christmas, James." Dad said rather bluntly.

"James, honey, there's something we wanted to give you." My mum said hoarsely. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"Yeah?" I asked, somehow managing to keep my voice level.

"Go into the box on my dresser." She instructed. I crossed the room, and on the dresser was, indeed, a single box. "Open it." I did as was asked, and I noticed, it was her ring!

"What?" I whispered.

"It's a family heirloom, son. We know how you feel about Lily, and we know how she feels about you." My dad said. "Just know that whenever you're ready, you can do it. We have full faith in you."

"Especially since it took your dad at least two years to finally propose to me, we're _really_ hoping you pick up your act quicker than him." My mum chuckled. I stared at the ring for a few minutes.

"Okay." I said. I looked up at them. "I-I need to go take a shower." I stammered, and quickly scurried out of the room. I barely registered anything as I picked up my clothes for the shower and went into the bathroom. I turned on the hot water, and let it wash out my sorrows.

* * *

**A/N: Yes, I skipped a week. Don't you hate busy lives? Midterms are the cause of this. Blame them!  
Anyway, I hope you guys liked this chapter!**

REVIEW!

Until next Friday,

Love,  
SAM :)


	38. Another Set Gone

Chapter 38: Another Set Gone 

I quickly buttoned up my shirt with one hand and combed my hair with the other. Yes, I taught myself how to do that. I'm not sure how I did it, but I did.

I was getting late for breakfast, since I'd taken longer in the shower than normal. I put the comb down and went down my stairs, where James was also coming down his. We met in our usual spot behind the couches.

"Good morning." We said at the same time. Slowly, his smile turned into a smirk.

"What?" I asked slowly, suddenly kind of worried. It was _way_ too early for smirking.

"You forgot a few buttons…" He said happily, his eyes trailing towards the area where a black, lacy bra was clearly visible. I blushed furiously.

"Right." I muttered, trying to button the last few buttons, but ended up fumbling with them. After a few seconds, my shirt was decently buttoned.

"Black and lacy, huh?" James was still smirking.

"Shut up!" I shrieked, hitting him on the arm.

"Ow!" He whined, unnecessarily holding the place where I hit him. "Is this any way to thank me?" He demanded. "I mean, I could've kept quiet, and you could've gone out there, showing the world what your bra looks like! That information is only for _me_!" He said dramatically. I rolled my eyes.

"Fine. Thank you, James." I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

_Tap Tap Tap_

"Do you hear that?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowed and looking around.

"Yeah, what is it?" I said, trying to find the source of the noise. I spotted it near the window between our staircases. It was a grey owl, holding a letter. I crossed the room, going over to it, with James right behind me. I pushed open the window. The owl dropped the letter in my hand, and then flew away. I turned it over, and in a neat script, it said 'James Potter' on it. "It's for you." I told him, handing over the letter. He opened it and brought out a single piece of parchment. I watched as his eyes slowly skimmed over the letter, getting wider and wider with each line. He started blinking rapidly, and I started to get a little worried. He just handed over the letter to me without saying a word. I took it in my already clammy hands and started reading fearfully.

_Dear James,  
How are you? Hopefully, school's still going well, and you're keeping up with your Head business! So, we're not really supposed to tell you this, but I know that if you came to know that we knew, and didn't tell you, you wouldn't be too happy with us. __**Not really, I kind of begged her to tell you.**__ Sorry, that was your father. Basically, Dumbledore was telling us before that he was thinking of making an organization called the Order of the Phoenix. He wanted us to join. It's an organization that fights against Voldemort. __**Please call him by his real name, by the way, none of this "You-Know-Who" business. **__That too. Basically, he wanted us to join, but due to our condition, we couldn't. We're not asking you to join. We don't even want you to. __**Well, your mother doesn't want you to. I know you'll want to join when you see this, and I'm not going to tell you that you can't. I wouldn't have wanted my father to tell me that. **__Anyway, just please, know that they're there. There are people trying to fight against him. Keep the hope, James. _

_ But, that's not all we wanted to say. If you're reading this right now, it means we've passed away. We instructed Misty to send this to you as soon as we're gone, so hopefully you see this. __**We've also sent a letter to Dumbledore, too, so no explanation to him is necessary. **__I'm so sorry we had to leave you at such a young age, and especially at this time. __**On the other hand, you get our entire inheritance!**__ Anyway, we really didn't want to go, but we couldn't do anything. We wish you the best of luck for the rest of your life. Keep the boys and Lily around, James. They're all such great people, and they'll stick with you for life. They won't let you down, and especially in these times, you need to have people you trust. __**Especially Lily, we couldn't have found a better person for you.**__ He's right. She's exactly who you need, and who you've wanted for a while, James. We know how you get when you're sad. But, please, don't push her away, remember, she knows how you feel. __**Same with Sirius.**__ Both of them, they know how you feel. Don't push them away, and don't feel sad. __**Well, not for TOO long anyway.**__ We love you so much, James, and we're SO proud of you. _

_ Love,_

_ Mom __**and Dad**_

_P.S. Disregard what your father said. Okay, well, most of it anyway._

This could not be happening! I mean, we've prepared for this, for the last year, actually. But it just wasn't fair! Both of our sets of parents…gone! My throat started to go dry as I look over the paper, passing my fingers over the spots where it looked like water once was, probably from their own tears.

"WHY HAVEN'T YOU TWO LEFT YET?" Sirius yelled, entering the room, with Remus and Peter in tow. I quickly crossed the room and handed him the letter, biting my lip, trying not to breakdown. Sirius took a look at James' face, then mine, and then the three of them started reading the letter. Remus finished first. He came over, hugged me really quickly before going over to James and standing next to him. They started speaking quietly. Sirius finished next, and dropped the letter, showing his shocked, frozen face. Peter picked it up, and finished reading it, and finally looked at me with watery eyes. He looked away, and put the letter on the nearest table. Both walked over to James, and they all sat down in front of the fire in a circle.

I actually wasn't sure what to do now. What do I do? Go comfort him? But he has the other three! I cautiously walked towards them, and sat behind James and Sirius. Almost as soon as I did, tears started running down both of their cheeks. I looked at Remus and Peter, who were looking away from me, most likely already crying. I bit my lip, still trying not to cry, and moved closer to Sirius and James, pulling them closer so both of their heads were on my shoulders. Finally, I gave in, and tears started steadily falling down my face, too.

They shouldn't have left just yet! James still needs them…he wasn't as ready as he thought he was, and what happened to my parents showed that. I sighed, and tried to put _that_from my mind.

It was a good thing Dumbledore already knew. It would be really difficult to explain this to him. Hopefully, he already told the other teachers, and they all know where we are.

"Lily, can we please go to our dorm…?" Remus asked, not meeting my eyes, and I could feel my heart break that much more.

"Yeah, we probably should." I agreed. James and Sirius must've heard, because they both got up along with us. I held James' hand in one hand, and Sirius' in the other. I motioned for Remus to get the letter, and he did. We walked outside, and I was grateful that classes already started. No one was in the corridor. We got on to the staircase to go to the Gryffindor's common room, and I was too focused on consoling Sirius and James to hear Remus or Peter say the password. We entered the Common Room, and I was glad to see no one was there. We made our way to their dormitory, and I was looking cautiously from James to Sirius and back to James again. I pushed open the door and walked in. Sirius went to his bed, James to his old one, Remus to his, and Peter to his. And I was torn. I should go over to James' bed, right? As his girlfriend, that would be the right thing to do, to comfort him first? Sirius closed the curtains around his bed. Okay, James it is. I walked over to James and sat down next to him. I put my arms around his waist and pulled him closer to me.

He didn't say anything, and only a few tears escaped his eyes. He saw the letter at the foot of his bed, and he read it a few times over, and then pocketed it. Then, he abruptly got off from the bed. Why's he leaving? Is he starting to close up?

"Wait," I started. He turned to me with cold eyes.

"What?" He asked harshly. I bit my lip.

"Where are you going?" I said, much softer this time.

"To the Quidditch Pitch." He said, anger apparent in his voice. I tried to ignore it, and just nodded, trying to remind myself that he was just sad. Sirius still had his curtains pulled closed, so I decided not to bother him. I walked over to where Remus and Peter were, talking to each other quietly.

"Lily, they're going to be crushed." Peter whispered, with wide, watery eyes. I looked away.

"They already are." Remus added hoarsely, playing with the loose strings on his sheets.

"What do we do?" I asked quietly, looking down at my hands. Why did this have to be so confusing?

"I don't know… Prongs is already closing up. You heard how he was talking to you. If he's talking to _you_ like that, imagine how he's going to talk to the rest of us!" Remus said with a small sigh.

"And who knows what Padfoot's doing behind those curtains!" Peter added, giving a glance towards Sirius' bed.

"Why did this have to happen to him? _Twice_? And James, everything was fine…and then suddenly this came along! He doesn't deserve this!" Remus said. I nodded.

"I've been worried about him for a while…ever since we came back from his house, he's been so…off of things…" I muttered, shaking my head. Remus and Peter exchanged a glance.

"What?" I asked, looking between them. Did they know something that I didn't?

"Nothing." They said together. I narrowed my eyes. They definitely knew something…

"What is it?" I pressed. Remus looked towards Sirius' bed, and his eyes widened.

"Wait," Remus started. He crossed the room and pulled out the map, and brought it back to us. "_I solemnly swear that I am up to no good_." He said, pointing his wand at the map. "Oh no…" he muttered.

"What?" Peter and I asked at the same time. We stood up behind him and watched. I felt my stomach drop. James was in the Transfiguration classroom, not on the Quidditch Pitch! And Sirius…was in a deserted classroom…with MARY!

"How did he get out of here?" Remus let out a frustrated noise. Peter swiftly walked over to Sirius' bed and opened the curtains. Sure enough, Sirius wasn't there!

"It smells like _Firewhiskey_." Peter told us fearfully. Sirius was drunk!

"Oh…my…" I started. "I don't even know where to go first!" I yelled out in exasperation. Peter and Remus exchanged a nervous look. "No, we're not splitting up either!" I told them before they could even suggest it.

"Okay, how about we just calm down for a second?" Remus muttered. I took a few breaths. Suddenly, everything became a little clearer.

"Okay, I have an idea!" I announced. They looked towards me hopefully. "We'll go to Sirius first, since he's actually drunk. He doesn't know what he's doing. James probably went down to the Transfiguration Room to escape…but why wouldn't he go down to the Quidditch Pitch?" I muttered. Peter shrugged.

"Yeah, I don't know." Remus said, scrunching up his face in thought. "But, I think we need to put that aside for now, and get to Padfoot first."

"Who knows what they'll be doing down there?" Peter muttered, glancing at the map apprehensively.

"Come on, let's just go!" I shook my head and briskly crossed the room to go downstairs, with Peter and Remus behind me. We left the common room and started walking quickly towards the classroom on the map.

"Miss Evans?" A voice said from behind us, just as we were getting down the stairs. It was Dumbledore. I turned around.

"Hello, Professor." I said politely. His face was somber, and instantly, I knew that he knew about James' parents.

"I received the news about Mr. Potter's parents, and also informed the staff. However, I was told that he showed up to Transfiguration today." He said, looking between the three of us.

"We were just going to him." Remus told him quickly. Dumbledore nodded.

"Well, I'll let you go on, then. But please, do try to keep them under control. I know how they can get." Dumbledore replied vaguely, but I knew exactly what he was talking about.

"Yes, sir." I said. He left without another word. Remus, Peter, and I continued down the stairs.

"He should be just around this corner...in the classroom." Peter said, looking at the map again. I was a little fearful of going in there, but I'd have to do it. Hopefully, what they were doing wouldn't be _too_mentally scarring.

"Alright, which one of you two is coming with me?" I asked, looking between the both of them.

"MOONY!" Peter called out before Remus could even open his mouth. Remus sighed.

"Fine…" He whined.

"No whining. Come on. For Sirius, just remember that!" I said encouragingly, partially trying to convince myself. He nodded grudgingly. I grew more fearful…who knows how far they've gone? I wasn't in the mood to see anything graphic! I paused for a second before pushing the door open, and Remus gave me a look. I took another breath. I could do this…what could the worst be? I pushed open the door and gagged.

Mary was shirtless, but thankfully still had pants on, and Sirius was the same. Sirius' hands, were quite disgustingly, roaming _everywhere_on her. I found Sirius' shirt right in front of me, and picked it up. I looked at Remus. He nodded at me encouragingly.

"SIRIUS!" I yelled. The two broke apart.

"Lily-flower, I didn't think you'd want to join us…" Sirius started in his slurred voice, a far away look in his eyes. Then he looked around. "W-Wait, where's Prongsie?" He laughed a little. His eyes landed on Remus. "Moony's a good replacement I suppose…" He muttered, looking thoughtful, or as thoughtful as he could look while being drunk.

"Sirius, I don't want to join. Get up." I told him sharply.

"You can't tell him what to do!" Mary said defiantly. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest. I walked to where they were, picking up Mary's shirt on the way. I threw it at her, and she caught it, rather reluctantly putting it on.

"Sirius, come on, we need to go." I said, almost begging him.

"She's right, mate, get up." Remus said, appearing next to me. Sirius looked between us.

"Okay." He said, standing up, and almost falling down again. I had to grab is arm to keep him from falling. Once he was stable, I handed him his shirt. He tried putting it on, but ended up missing the hole for the head. Remus had to help him put it on. I took Sirius' arm and dragged him out of the room, completely disregarding that Mary was still there. Peter was outside waiting for us.

"Oh, good, you've got him!" Peter said, with a small sigh of relief. "Now to Prongs?"

"Yeah." Remus said tiredly, running a hand through his hair.

"Hey guys…where's Sirius…?" I asked slowly, looking around. I spotted him almost running down the hall, and how he managed that in his drunken state, I'm not sure. He couldn't even put on his shirt! I started speed-walking after him.

"Why are you _walking_?" Remus asked irately, coming up next to me.

"I'm Head Girl, I can't be _running_in the corridors!" I told him dismissively. We started the wild-goose chase after Sirius, and each time we thought we'd come close, he'd go off even faster!

"Oh, look guys, it's Minnie's classroom!" Sirius giggled. He stopped, almost falling in the process, and entered the classroom.

"Oh no!" I groaned. I decided to forget about school rules for a few moments, and sprinted after him. I threw open the door, and went inside, hoping McGonagall wouldn't be too mad.

"But Professor…" Sirius whined. Before she could say anything back, I started talking.

"I'm so sorry, Professor, I don't know how he got in here." I told her apologetically. Her eyes were already pretty wide, so I assumed she figured out he was drunk.

"_Silencio_." Peter whispered from next to me, his wand pointed at Sirius.

"Take him back, we'll handle Prongs." Remus told Peter quietly, and Peter dragged Sirius out of the room.

"Class, please practice the spell we just learned with the person next to you." McGonagall instructed, and everyone started to disperse, and spells started flying everywhere. I walked towards her, trying to look around in the process, to see if I could find James. "Yes, Miss Evans?" McGonagall asked, sympathy and sadness clear in her blue-green eyes.

"Where's James, Professor?" I asked her quietly, to be sure no eavesdroppers could hear. She pointed to a corner where he was working with some other Gryffindor.

"Thank you, Professor." I said gratefully. I took a deep breath. I had a feeling he wouldn't come easily. Remus and I exchanged a look, and started walking cautiously towards him. I knew he noticed us coming, because he suddenly got a little stiffer, and his face hardened. Was this even a good idea? What if he yelled some more? Maybe he just wanted to be in class…maybe?

"Lily…you _know_he really doesn't want to be here." Remus said, glancing at me, as though reading my mind.

"You're right, you're right." I muttered. "I'm just having second thoughts."

"What?" James asked harshly, once we got close enough to him. I flinched.

"Please, just come back to the dorms with us." Remus begged. James gave us both a cold, hard look, before turning back to his partner. "Alright then, I'm really sorry about this, mate." Remus said somberly. "_Immobulus_." Remus said, with his wand pointed at James. James froze in his stiff position, and his irritated eyes turned to us. I gave Remus an apprehensive look. He started pushing James towards the door, even though James seemed to be using all his weight to hold him back. If we kept it up like this, how were we supposed to get James back to our dorms? Remus couldn't push him up the stairs! Remus seemed to be having the same thoughts, because once we left the room, he stopped pushing James.

"I think we should lift the spell, Remus…" I said quietly. He considered for a moment, and then nodded, so I lifted the spell, but immediately regretted it.

"What is wrong with you two?" James yelled, almost as soon as I did. I stepped back in fear.

"J-James…" I started, but I seemed to have lost my voice.

"Prongs, calm down…" Remus told him, putting his hands up in front of him defensively, also moving back a little.

"Don't tell me what to do!" James yelled at him, slowly going redder.

"James, please…you're not quite in your right min-" I blurted out, before I could stop myself.

"Shut up! I don't care right now! You two are just being so damn _annoying_! Leave me _alone_!" James yelled even louder this time, before walking angrily down the corridor.

I slid back against the cold, stone wall, and sat down as salty tears slowly rolled down my cheek, watching James walk away from me.

* * *

**A/N: This was definitely the hardest chapter to write. I spent a few days debating if I should kill them yet or not...and I nearly cried a few times while I was writing it :(**

And I've also just realized I didn't reply to your review from last chapter, so I apologize for that.

I've also gotten many questions about how long I'll continue this story. It'll be until the end of their seventh year.

There have also been questions about a sequel. I was debating whether or not I should, but I'd like you to tell me,  
What do you think about a sequel?

Review please:)

Until next Friday,

Love,

**SAM :)  
**


	39. Healing and Angry Surprises

Chapter 39: Healing and Angry Surprises

I blinked my eyes once or twice tying to adjust to the light. My head snapped up when I couldn't recognize my surroundings. My back was pressed up against a cold, stone wall, and I was sitting on the hard ground. My shoulder and back were sore from the uncomfortable position. Why was I here? I stood up and found that my legs were pretty sore, too.

"_Lumos_." I muttered, lighting my wand. I was in some corridor. I shined the light on my wristwatch. It was almost two in the morning! I kind of started to remember how I got here.

_It was fairly late, and I still hadn't seen James since he yelled at me, hardly twenty hours ago. I didn't want to go back to our room, or my old dorm rooms…I just didn't really want to be near people. As I was walking along, I spotted a deserted corridor. My legs were fairly tired, and I decided to sit down._

I must have dozed off when I sat down. Well, now what to do? Maybe go check on Sirius…I knew he wouldn't push me away. I quickly dusted myself off and started walking. The torches got brighter near this main corridor and I spotted a familiar tapestry. I was near the Room of Requirement, on the seventh floor. There was a shortcut some where here, back to Gryffindor Tower. James had shown me last year. After feeling around the general area of the hall, I found it. I climbed through and suddenly realized using this way probably wasn't a good idea. There were noises of things crawling, squeaking, and just _noises_. I tried to calm myself down by making the light a little brighter. I walked a little faster, and then straight into something solid. I let out a tiny scream. I would've fallen back, but it had a hold on my arm…wait, it was a _hand_!

"Watch it, Lily!" The voice said lightly. Sirius? I shined my wand up, and it showed me Sirius, using his arm to block his eyes from the light.

"Sorry," I muttered, stepping back, and lowering the light.

"What're you doing out here, this late?" He asked. I shrugged, and then realized he probably couldn't see that I shrugged.

"I slept out there, in the corridor. I only woke up a few minutes ago." I replied with a yawn.

"I-I was headed to the Room of Requirement…d'you want to come?" He asked. It wasn't a request…it was a plea.

"Sure." I said, turning around. We started walking back, and I felt a lot safer, knowing Sirius was next to me. We reached the main corridor, where I just was, in no time, and I realized I hadn't gone that far at all. We walked t the area in front of the Room, and I let Sirius open it. He walked in front of it three times, and on the third time, a large, steel door formed. When we approached, it opened itself. We stepped inside, and I gasped in awe. It looked almost exactly like the Gryffindor Common Room, without desks or tables. Just couches, rugs, the fireplace, and the usual wall decoration. I went to go sit down on the couch in front of the fireplace, and Sirius sat down next to me. After a few minutes of silence, he spoke up.

"It was back in first year when I met them," He started hoarsely. "Prongs invited us all over for Christmas Break. I couldn't be more excited to go. Prongs always talked about them so much and always spoke so highly of them. He adored them, idolized them. They were Aurors, the best of the department. They were great parents, they were his heroes.

"I couldn't help but feel jealous of him. It's wrong to be jealous of your best mate, but I was." He paused, and I patted his arm encouragingly. "When we arrived at the station, both of them were there to greet him with huge smiles on their faces and huge hugs to give. My parents never hugged me like that…nor did they ever smile at me like that." He voice cracked and it took him a few minutes to regain his composure. "When they learned I was a Black, they didn't care. They didn't care that my family was the reason over half of their family's dead. They welcomed me and made me feel even more at home because of that.

"Over the years, they became my surrogate parents. Prongs is selfless. He's always more than willing to share. We became a little family of our own. I could always write to them when I was having problems, and in some way or another, all the clothes I own are because of them. My cousin Andromeda's been secretly paying them back. And because of the vastness of the Potter vault, they haven't noticed.

"Why, Lily, why?" He asked rhetorically. "We still need them. James needs them. I need them! We're not ready for this, Lily!" He whimpered. I tried to breathe, make myself stop crying before I talked to him, but I couldn't, so I just started to speak anyway, even though I was practically sobbing.

"You may not think you're ready, but I have total faith in you. You're pretty responsible, you've got great personalities, and you've made quite the name for yourselves. You've accomplished so many things that people our age shouldn't be able to accomplish.

"When my parents passed, I thought the same way, but I guess after a lot of thought, I realized I could live without them. I would have to, anyway, it was just sooner than I expected. Thinking more, I realized I have everyone else I need right with me. I just felt better, knowing I wasn't completely helpless. It was still awful, knowing I'd never be able to talk to them again, see them again. I guess life goes on…unfortunately, without them." I shrugged. I decided to stop; the tears were flowing on to my face too quickly.

I wasn't sure how long we sat in silence, but it was a long time before he said anything.

"Thanks, Lily." He said, taking a huge breath. Another long silence. "Don't worry about Prongs, he'll come around really soon. He's just in initial shock. I remember the first time you rejected him. He sat in the Kitchens for two days straight, simply eating." I was momentarily worried. Would it take two days? It hasn't even been 20 hours since I last saw him, and I was already worried sick, and missed him like crazy.

"Thanks." I replied quietly, trying to keep the tears out of my voice.

"He's probably stuffing his face right now…" Sirius let out a dry chuckle.

"And you guys will be okay, I know it." I told him again, patting his hand. "We can make it through together." I looked at him and decided he probably wanted to be alone. "I-I think I'll go…" I muttered, getting up.

"Wait," He said. I turned around. "Take this." He told me holding a piece of parchment that I knew was the Map. "Don't want to run into Filch." He said, meeting my eyes. The pain in them made me look away almost immediately.

"Thanks." I replied softly, before nearly running out of the room, closing the doors behind me. So he knew where I was, he deliberately came looking for me. I pointed my wand at the map. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." The ink spread itself out to form the map of Hogwarts. I forced myself to keep my eyes away from the vicinity of the kitchen. I quickly located the caretaker's office, and found both he and his cat were there. "Mischief Managed." I muttered quickly, so I wouldn't accidentally come across James. I knew I'd be tempted to go find him if I knew where he was.

I decided not to take the shortcut back. But wait, where was I going to go? I still didn't want to go to our room, or the Gryffindor Tower. So where? Maybe a visit to Myrtle's wouldn't hurt. I started walking in that direction, and realized Hogwarts at night was actually a lot more magical than with people running around in it. It looked so peaceful and oblivious to everything gong on in the rest of the country. The portraits were peacefully snoozing, and the staircases were quietly moving, as they do during the day time. I stepped off the staircase that led to her bathroom. It was a pretty creepy corridor. The torches were dim and the walls seemed damper than the rest of the castle.

"Lily." A voice said, and a hand grabbed my arm. I didn't even scream out. I could recognize that voice anywhere. I turned around quickly and faced him. His hair was sticking up worse than usual, his clothes were disheveled, and his glasses were crooked. An overall gruff appearance. His eyes were bloodshot, but abnormally bright. "Lily," He said again, this time hugging me as he said it. I put my arms around his waist as he let out a string of curses. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I did or said any of that. I didn't mean it, you know that! I'm so sorry." He muttered into my hair.

"I-It's okay." I said, stuttering a little bit. He said nothing, just hugged me closer and my head rested at the base of his neck. As we stood there, it made me realize how dependent I was on him. It hadn't even been 20 hours since I last talked to him, since I last touched him, and I already missed him so much.

"Hardly 20 hours with out you, and I already had a need to see you…" he muttered, voicing my thoughts, rubbing my back.

"Exactly what I was thinking. I can't go a day apart from you without missing you." I agreed.

"I love you." We said at the same time. I started to feel warm water trickle down my hair.

"I-I…Sorry." He let out, taking his hands from me to wipe his eyes. I looked up at him.

"It's fine, it's fine…" I assured him.

"You did a little crying yourself, didn't you?" He asked, looking over my face. I shrugged.

"I was talking to Sirius…" I told him.

"So that's where you got the Map from…" he muttered.

"Oh yeah." I said, and handed the map to him. He folded it up and stuck it in his pocket.

"Where is he now? Is he sober again?" He asked.

"Yeah, he's just really tired. He's in the Room of Requirement." I told him.

"Were you there, too?"

"Yeah. I thought he might want to talk…so I was heading back to him, just as he came to meet me." I explained.

"Wait, so where were you?" He asked.

"I fell asleep in some corridor on the seventh floor." I answered.

"What're you two doing here?" A nasty voice asked. I turned around quickly, my wand pointed at the person. It was Snape.

"Well…" I started.

"Good morning." James said at the same time. "We fancied a walk. How about you?" James asked, and only then I realized that he sounded slightly delirious. Did he drink?

"None of your business." Snape said, his nostrils flaring just the slightest, and glaring at James. "Head Boy and Head Girl out of the dorms…I might have to report."

"And how would you explain knowing that we were out? Unless you were out yourself?" I asked. This was only going to get _him_into trouble! James put a hand on my shoulder, and gave me an evil smile. He seemed to realize what I just had. I narrowed my eyes and shook my head at him. His face fell and he gave me a pleading look. I held my glare. He gave up. "Just get going and we won't report you." I told him fiercly. His nostrils flared at us, but he walked by, purposely pushing right through me and James.

* * *

"All here?" Dumbledore asked. I did a quick count. Peter, Remus, Sirius, James, me, Dumbledore.

"Yes, I think so." I replied, glancing at the tired faces of Sirius and James. Sirius thankfully stopped drinking, and although James stopped isolating himself, he looked as though he'd never be happy again. The cold, hard, defensive look in his eyes was replaced by raw depression. He didn't run anymore, but he rarely spoke. He hasn't left my side, but he won't even try going outside to fly. He ate twice as much as before, while the rest of us hardly touched food. Occasionally, he'd burst into tears, at completely random times, and during other times, he'd sit in deafening silence. I knew, for him, it was enough for me to just be there, but I couldn't help but wish I could do something more.

Sirius, on the other hand, was honestly trying. He was honestly trying to be happy again. He was honestly trying to move on, to try to be happier for James' sake. But one look at James, Sirius would automatically shut himself back up again. James' unhappiness was bringing everyone down, and I could tell what it was like when my parents passed.

I was hoping that they would get better once they went to the funeral, just as I did. But looking at the state of them, it was unlikely. Although it' been a week since the news came, they haven't changed a bit since the initial shock wore off.

"1…2…3, Now!" Dumbledore said, and we all immediately touched the Portkey. I felt myself being spun around, and then falling back to the ground. We hit the ground with a huge _thud_ and a lot of groans, while Dumbledore gracefully floated down unscathed. We scrambled up and James appeared by my side again, slipping his hand into mine. I looked around, and saw we were at the entrance of the graveyard. James didn't want a huge funeral with people he'd never met, so he just decided to let them bury it, and figured whoever wanted to come and visit could do that by themselves.

We walked ahead, weaving through the graves, and James' hand started to get clammy. I looked up at him, and there was a foreign emotion in his eyes: fear. I rubbed his arm soothingly, trying to get him to calm down. I glanced at Sirius. He was no better. Although he had his head up high, his hands were balled up and he was walking a little too stiffly. Remus and Peter stayed a little further from us, keeping their distance, just as they had for the last week.

We arrived at the grave and I gasped. It was honestly beautiful. It was a fairly large tombstone, covered in wreaths and flowers _everywhere_. The names and the year were almost covered, and this tomb was only made earlier today!

"Well, it seems as though Charles and Dory had many admirers." Dumbledore mused, as he added several more flowers. I brought out more flowers of my own, lilies, and added them. We all stood there in silence, dwelling in our own thoughts, and silently speaking to them. "I think, we three will return to the entrance." Dumbledore said, looking at Remus and Peter. Both nodded, and they left James and Sirius with me.

"I think we should sit." I said quietly. At the same time, we dropped to the ground. James and Sirius sat on either side of me. Their eyebrows were identically furrowed. They were silently speaking to them, and I decided I should say a few words, too.

_Well, it's quite unfortunate that I have to speak to both of you like this…but I know you're listening. Both of you did well here, for the world. Being Aurors, great parents, and even better role models. Even people who don't know you can tell you'll be greatly missed, because the amount of flowers is a huge indication. As Aurors, you were definitely very successful, and it was out of the goodness of your heart that you decided to become Aurors. With the vastness of the Potter vault, you could've stayed home all day and still gotten along fine. James admired you and loved you and you taught him well. You allowed Sirius to stay with you and you helped him where his own parents couldn't, which means a lot to him. You raised him as your own son, and he couldn't thank you enough. As role models, I can only wish to become like you, although it is highly unlikely that it will happen. You've lived a great life, and done well here.  
I'll help James and Sirius through this, I promise. There's no need to worry. _

I blinked back some tears, and patiently waited for James to finish. I knew Sirius was finished, by the way he was picking at the grass on the ground, but James was still as concentrated as ever.

After a few more minutes of picking grass, counting the flowers, and adding stuff to what I wanted to say, James slowly exhaled.

"I-I'm done." He said hoarsely, and then cleared his throat. Sirius and I looked at each other in shock. "I think we should head back." My eyes widened. That was the first sentence _full_ sentence he spoke all week! It was just one or two or three word sentences before. Sirius and I broth grinned widely, and we all stood up. Sirius patted James on the back, and I let go of James' hand so they could hug properly. It was a brotherly hug, and I could see in James' eyes the depression slowly slipping away. They let go of each other, and James held my hand again. We walked back, and I could see Remus, Peter, and Dumbledore quietly conversing.

"Yes, I see you're all back. Excellent." Dumbledore said, his eyes slowly looking into each of ours. James looked at me, and then Sirius, and the corners of his mouth twitched up into a small smile. Sirius threw his head back and gave a pleasant laugh, and pulled both me and James in for a huge bear hug. The three of us swayed on the spot for a little, before pulling back, and going into fits of laughter. It was nice to hear them both laughing and smiling again. "I hate to interrupt this moment, but I'm afraid our Portkey is about to leave without us." Dumbledore said, also smiling. Five hands touched the Portkey, along with Dumbledore's, and I felt the same sensation of being lifted up, and then falling. Once again, the five of us fell messily on to Dumbledore's rug, but Dumbledore landed neatly in front of his desk.

"Nice to see you're back." Remus said, patting James on the back. I stepped back, and they all huddled and shared some kind of Marauder moment. James ruffled his hair, and they stepped out of the square they made.

"Now that we've all somewhat healed, I thought I'd take the opportunity to wish you a Happy Birthday, Lily." Dumbledore said. My head snapped up and my eyes went wide.

"What?" I gasped. Dumbledore pointed to the calendar on his desk. My eyes got larger at the date. "I-…what?" I repeated.

"Wait…_what_?" James asked, pulling me away from it to look at the calendar himself. Remus, Peter, and Sirius, glanced at the calendar, too, and started laughing loudly.

"You…forgot…birthday…" Remus laughed.

"Nice going, guys." Sirius laughed, hitting both me and James on the back.

"Happy…Birthday…Lily…" Peter gasped in between laughter.

"Yeah, Happy Birthday!" Remus and Sirius both said, looking at my confused face once more, and then going into another round of laughter.

"Oh _wow_, come on, I'm going to make you have fun today, whether you like it or not." James said, pushing through the other three. "Thank you, Professor." James added.

"Thanks Professor!" I said behind my shoulder as James dragged me out of his office. Dumbledore gave us an amused glance, before returning his attention to Remus, Peter, and Sirius who were saying unintelligible things to each other. James dragged me down the gargoyle's stairs, and away from Dumbledore's office.

"How did I forget? I _never_ forget! Not once! Especially _yours_, of all people!" James said, shaking his head. I laughed. "I don't forget birthdays. Just _impossible_ for me!"

"It's okay, I forgot, too." I reminded him. "Honestly, I'm just glad that you're pretty much back to normal again, that's good enough for me."

"Did Potter forget about the mudblood's birthday?" A nasty voice asked. I grimaced. We looked up and found a large gang of Junior Death Eater Slytherins. I hadn't seen this many at once for a _long_ time.

"Hey guys….oh…" Sirius called out, coming up behind us. He stood on the other side of me and faced them. He fixed his glare on Regulus.

"Nice of you to join us….we were just congratulating Potter on becoming an orphan." Avery said, causing the other Slytherins to laugh. I bit my lip. How'd they find out?

"How did you find out?" Sirius demanded. They kicked over something. Sirius bent down to pick it up. It was the _Prophet_, and the headline was about the burial of the Potters. I let out a silent gasp. "You _assholes_." Sirius sneered.

"And where were you two about to go?" Mucliber asked, looking to me and James.

"I think the better question is, why were you coming after them?" Avery asked Sirius, raising his eyebrows.

"I believe it's because the rumors in the Slytherin tower is true." Snape said. "_It_ has become the Marauder's slut."

"You filthy piece of-" James yelled out to Snape, immediately bringing his wand out, but then stopped for some reason. Sirius didn't even reach for his wand, he automatically tried lunging at Snape.

"I'm going to _kill_ you, with my bare hands, _let go of me, Lily_!" He barked. I tightened my grip on the back of his shirt, and with one hard tug, I pulled him back next to me. He took out his wand, and started shooting spells at him, while Snape deflected them all with a lazy shield charm. I was just glad James didn't start attacking him. He was doing a good job remembering his Head Boy duties! Suddenly, Snape started shooting spells back, and Sirius and Snape were engaged in a battle. All of them started to form a circle around us, and we were pushed back to back.

"Don't attack them, just defend yourself!" I told them both, but I had a feeling only James was following it. I felt myself being bound by ropes, and it took me a while to get rid of them. I was putting up the Shield Charm, and hoping I wouldn't get hurt. I already got enough cuts from those ropes. Sirius was going on as strong as ever, knocking out two at a time. James was doing the same thing as I was, simply defending himself. I glanced at James, and we made eye contact. I looked at the Shield Charms. He gave me a curt nod.

"1…2…3!" He yelled, and we both made a Shield Charm appear at once, causing the remaining ones to fly backwards. I put it down quickly and looked at the Slytherins sprawled on the ground.

"Let's run!" I yelled, taking James' hand. We ran away from them, and finally stopped where there were people every where, in the Courtyard. I stopped, trying to catch my breath. James and Sirius seemed fine. "That…was terrible." I said, shaking my head. "Sirius! You could've gotten in trouble for attacking them! You already have a record with Snape!" I reprimanded him. "But…thanks for defending me." I added. He smiled and started pulling at his hair. "And I can't even tell you how glad I am that you didn't start attacking Snape either." I told James. He gave me a weak smile

"Come on, let's just keep this entire thing to ourselves, we can't tell anyone." James said, looking at me, and then Sirius.

"Yeah, if Remus found out, he'd make us tell, and that's not happening. We don't need to give the Slytherins the satisfaction. They'll think we can't handle ourselves." I agreed. Sirius looked between us, and just smiled.

"Wouldn't dream of it." He smirked..

"Now, we," James said, putting an arm around me, "Are going to the kitchens. Don't follow us!"

"Like you haven't eaten enough already. Soon, you won't be able to fit on to the bed…you know, for future purposes!" Sirius said, winking at James. I blushed deep red, and James eyes widened. He dragged me away from Sirius, who was doubled over in laughter.

* * *

**A/N: Well, I can explain.  
Okay, so I had this chapter all finished and ready to go WEDNESDAY night. I was actually going to post it then because of all the reviews I got (THANK YOU SO MUCH). But then, I realized, there was something missing. So, I took a huge break from it, and went away for a few days. And then I woke up this morning and I realized what was missing! And it's a lot better and longer than it would've been if I posted it on Wednesday.**

Thanks again for the reviews/alerts/favorites, I appreciate you all!

Until next Friday,

Love,  
SAM :)  



	40. You're Insane

Chapter 40: You're Insane

I walked to the Gryffindor Tower slowly, reflecting on everything that happened, and allowed my mind to wander.

The last week was hectic. I had barely anytime to breathe anymore. I had to make up the bucket load of work from last week, and then this week. Among that was Head duties. I didn't know how James was managing, in addition to Quidditch Practice.

He thankfully started them up again. Although he wasn't completely healed, he finally stopped overeating, started talking and laughing again, and started playing Quidditch again. He wasn't completely sticking to me anymore and was slowly returning back to normal. However, every time he'd stop what he was doing, just for a break, it would ultimately end in his tears. The memory of them still haunted him, but only slightly. He was getting better, and I was happy about that. Sirius was the same, and I could tell he was being strong for James. I didn't know what was going on after we all went to sleep, I just hoped they would pick themselves up soon.

There was another thing I couldn't seem to get off my mind, and that was the Order of the Phoenix. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to join. I had nothing to lose. And the only people who'd miss me if I died would probably want to join, too. The idea of fighting against the Death Eaters was so much more appealing than working under the Ministry as an Auror. It would eliminate all those years of training. Of course, they probably wouldn't send us out without _some_ training, but three years was too long. You-Know-_Voldemort_ (I was trying to get into the habit of saying his name) was on the rise _now_. He wasn't going to wait until half the Aurors were out of the Academy. I hadn't talked to James about it yet, but I would soon.

My birthday was celebrated rather clumsily, but I liked it. James took me down to the kitchens right after we escaped the Slytherins, and we talked a lot, which I was happy about. Although it was still cold out, we took a walk around the grounds. Dumbledore called us back to his office, and told me that I had smoothly inherited the rest of my parents' stuff. Our house sold for a decent sum of money, and it was split between me and Petunia. Even though James felt _horrible_ for forgetting about my birthday, I didn't mind. It was honestly just more than enough that he was talking to me again, and that he was somewhat back to normal once more.

I hadn't seen much of Mary since the incident with Sirius, but I could only assume that she was thoroughly upset by it. She didn't seem too happy with me, but she had the rest of the desperate males to fall back on.

I hadn't seen much of Marlene, either. At least she had Alex to keep her company. Maybe I should tell her about the Order of the Phoenix thing, too. I think she'd be interested.

"Alright, Peter, come on." I said, walking into their dormitory.

"Lily-flower! One of us could've been changing! You should have knocked!" Sirius said disapprovingly. I rolled my eyes.

"You're staying here." I told him forcefully.

"What? Why?" He demanded.

"Because you won't be any help!" Remus said.

"Exactly." I agreed.

"Please, I was the Hogwarts Player back in my time!" Sirius argued.

"Yes, but you're not the greatest motivator." I pointed out.

"You're making this much more complicated than it has to be!" Peter whined. I rolled my eyes.

"Just come!" I insisted. Peter sighed loudly.

"Come on!" Remus told him, walking towards me.

"Sirius, why don't you go to James? Maybe you can spend some time alone." I suggested. He crinkled his nose.

"Fine…" He grumbled.

"And whatever you guys do, don't come back to the Common Room!" I warned. He let out another groan and left the room.

"Okay, now that we got rid of him, we should just stay up here." Remus suggested.

"Good point. Let's stay here." I agreed. I looked around. "We can sit on James' old bed."

"What's wrong with the floor?" Peter asked. I glanced down and found a pair of boxers, and looked back up to Peter.

"You've gotten messier since James left." I explained, going over to James' bed, and sat against the headboard. Remus sat next to me, and Peter sat at the foot of the bed.

"It's Moony's fault. He wouldn't do any cleaning spells!" Peter complained.

"You two need to learn!" Remus huffed.

"Anyway," I started, rolling my eyes, "Let's begin."

"Okay, so now you've started to get less awkward around…people…it's time, Wormtail." Remus told him with a straight face.

"Sirius is rubbing off of you." I muttered. "So dramatic…"

"We're going to teach you how to talk to people without turning into a sweat puddle, specifically _girls_." Remus stressed.

"With girls, to talk to them, you basically need something to talk about. A common subject." I explained. "Girls are less judgmental than most males. They will talk to anyone as long as they have something to talk about. For the most part, girls will not care what you look like. So to avoid worries about that, stay away from Mary's lot, okay?" I told him.

"Wait, what's _that_ supposed to mean?" Remus demanded. I rolled my eyes.

"Most males care what girls look like when they talk to them!" I said. Remus opened his mouth to argue, but then closed it again.

"Okay, so maybe _most _do….not all." Remus corrected. I laughed.

"So basically, Peter, just find something to talk about." I summed up. He looked at me with a blank look.

"Like _what_?" He asked.

"Uh…books?" I suggested. He kept the blank look. Oh, right. "Maybe you could start out with class?" I suggested. "Like basic small talk. I think we can start there."

"Small talk as in weather, the castle, people. Hell, even talk about Lily and Prongs if you have to!" Remus added. I glared at him. He shrugged. "It's everyday gossip, Lily. It's unavoidable. Especially since Wormtail's close to you two."

"People need to mind their own business." I grumbled, getting off the bed.

"Wait, where we going…?" Peter asked fearfully as Remus got off the bed.

"Mate, we're going to put this lesson into practice." Remus said, patting Peter on the back. He groaned.

"Now!" He asked.

"Yes." Remus and I nodded.

"Fine…" He whined.

"Come on, you can do this!" I said encouragingly as we went down the stairs. He turned to look at me, and ended up bumping into a quiet sixth year girl. I smiled. This opportunity could not have been more perfect. Remus and I walked passed them so Peter could see us. We gave him a thumbs up.

"Oh, sorry." The girl said in a quiet voice. Peter opened his mouth.

"Uh…it's…uh…okay." He muttered. "I'm Peter." He blurted out. Remus let out a small laugh. I elbowed him and glared.

"I'm Sally." She replied just as quietly as before.

"N-Nice to meet you." He stuttered, but then recovered. This was working! I gave him a wide smile.

"Nice to meet you, too." She said quietly. Peter sent me a panicked look over her shoulder, and his fists started to curl into balls.

"Oh no, he's panicking!" Remus whispered to me.

"See-uh…y-you ar-around…" Peter stuttered incoherently, before turning around and running back up the stairs. Remus started laughing again, and I didn't bother to admonish him for it.

"Well," I started. "That went well."

"That was _hilarious_!" Sirius laughed from behind me. I jumped.

"Did you see him? That was _brilliant_!" James laughed.

"Stop making fun of him!" I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest. I didn't get a response; they were all too busy laughing. In fact, so loudly, that most people in the common room had stopped what they were doing to watch us.

"What's going on…?" Marlene asked, approaching me fearfully. I rolled my eyes.

"They're making fun of Peter." I quickly explained the little scenario to her and she laughed.

"You have to admit, Lily, that's really funny." She said through laughs.

"I know! But it's not nice!" I said, trying to look stern, but the corner of my mouth were tugging up, and I couldn't help but laugh myself.

"You know, we haven't talked in such a long time, d'you want to come up?" Marlene asked, pointing to our old dorms. I looked back at the three laughing, and hit each of them on their heads.

"Now we can go." I grumbled, walking towards my old room. A nostalgic feeling overcame me as I walked up to the room that was mine for six years. I loved my current room, but I terribly missed this one. I opened the door to the room, and took a seat on my old bed. I jumped up slightly, remembering the springy feeling to it that used to annoy me to no end. Marlene sat on her bed, the bed that used to be Mary's.

"How are things…James and Sirius…are they doing okay? Are _you _doing okay?" She asked. I shrugged and put my legs up.

"We're all fine…just healing, I suppose." I responded. "After the funeral, and then my birthday, James and I are doing a lot better. Sirius is just really good at hiding his feelings. I hoping I can try to get him alone to talk to him again."

"That's great." She said with a smile. "School and everything? Grades haven't slipped? Then again, you are _Lily Evans_. For your grades to slip, you'd have to be _dead_." She laughed. I rolled my eyes.

"No, my grades have not slipped…" I muttered. "But I hope yours haven't. You're practically _attached_ to Alex. Sometimes I wonder how you two shower, or if you do that together, too." I laughed. She threw a pillow at me.

"Lily Marie Evans! Has Potter done this to you?" She demanded.

"Actually, it was Sirius' influence, too." I corrected with a smile. She shook her head.

"Those two are such a bad influence on you!" She said disapprovingly.

"They're great to be around, though. Always have someone who'll cheer you up." I smiled, remembering all the times Sirius tried to make jokes to cheer us up. "But how's your relationship with Alex going? I haven't even talked to you much about it, and your one-year anniversary is coming up!" I laughed.

"Yes, the day before Valentine's Day. One more week!" She said with a large smile. "He's great Lily. I don't know why I haven't spoken to him before! We probably would've been best friends, if we talked earlier, like first or second year. But that's how our relationship is…we're best friends who happen to be dating." She smiled. "We really seem to get each other, and communication is never a problem. I'd say the entire relationship is perfect, but of course with you and James around, that's pretty difficult to say. If anyone's relationship is perfect, it's yours."

"No, it's not…" I said, kind of blushing at the statement of mine and James' relationship being described as perfect.

"You guys _finish_ each other's sentences. The only people I've seen do that are Fabian and Gideon Prewett!" She exclaimed.

"Not _all _the time…" I muttered.

"Right, I forgot. You say the exact _same_ things at the _exact_ same time, too! Or, you communicate silently, and no one seems to know what you're saying!" She added. "Face it, Lily, your communication is _perfect_."

"Anyway, have you met his parents yet?" I asked

"Yes, over the Winter Holidays. They're great people. I think they like me. He met my parents, too, and was surprisingly calm with them. I've been told my dad's scary-looking." She giggled. "How far have you gone with James?" She asked eagerly. I laughed.

"How far have you gone with Alex?" I countered.

"I asked first!" She sang, giving me the usual response.

"We've both been shirtless." I admitted, feeling my face grow hot. She laughed.

"When?" She asked.

"It was right after Quidditch one day, and he'd just finished taking a shower, but he was still shirtless." I explained quickly.

"Are the rumors true?" She asked. I raised an eyebrow.

"What rumors?" I demanded. She leaned forward.

"Rumor is, he's got some serious muscle and a six pack!" She giggled.

"Why haven't I heard this before?" I asked in disbelief.

"Forget hearing about it, you've _seen_ it, you've _felt_ it, if it's really there, of course!" She laughed.

"Oh, it's there." I winked, sending us into another fit of giggles. "Now, my question: How far have _you_ gone?" I asked. She turned a deep red.

"Almost sex…several times." She muttered. I laughed, but I wasn't surprised.

"_Almost_?" I asked.

"Yeah, we've been _really _close several times, but I've never really felt comfortable with it yet." She said with a shrug. "But, I'm hoping Valentine's Day." She confessed.

"Nice." I smiled. "You two are definitely going to stay together forever."

"No one thought that when we first started going out…but you and James? Everyone knows you two are eventually going to get married." She said with a small laugh.

"Oh, wow, I should really get going," I said with a small sigh. "We need to talk again _soon_." I stressed.

"Definitely." She nodded in agreement. I got up from my bed, and with one last look at it, I left the room.

* * *

I put my quill down in relief. Finally. I stretched my fingers and sighed. I sat back in my chair. The stupid essay is now done. I looked at the clock overhead. It was five. Where was James? Quidditch practice ended a while ago, and he's usually back by now. He probably got held up with tactics or something like that. Maybe I should give him the night off, he seems far too stressed. I could easily get Remus or Sirius to patrol with me tonight. If I did get Sirius to patrol with me, maybe I could talk to him again. It seemed to help him last time.

"Lily, Lily, Lily!" James called, running into the room.

"Yes…?" I asked, kind of scared by his overexcited behavior.

"A theory, a thought just hit me." He announced. "Just wait until the others get here." He sat down and started reading my essay. "Transfiguration?" He asked. I rolled my eyes.

"Where else would we be learning about conjuring objects?" I asked. He stuck his tongue out at me and continued reading.

"Prongs, you asked us to come?" Sirius asked, coming into the room with Remus and Peter behind him.

"This better be good, I left my Transfiguration Essay for this!" Peter said, sitting down across the table along with the other two. James shoved my essay over.

"Work all done." He smirked. I rolled my eyes and snatched it back.

"I'm pretty sure James would be more than happy to help you when we're all done here." I told Peter.

"Tell us, what happened?" Remus asked, finally steering us to the real reason we were here. James took a breath.

"Okay. So after Quidditch practice, I decided to take a walk around, and I passed by Snape. He gave me this weird look, but didn't say anything, probably because he was alone. He's the biggest coward on the planet. So anyone, I started thinking about him, and all the looks he gives us, Lily, and then it hit me!" He said dramatically. I was kind of scared to see where this was going, and glancing at the other three, they didn't seem so excited.

"James, where are you going with this?" I asked fearfully.

"Snape is in love with you." He proclaimed. I blinked once, his expression remained. I blinked again. His expression remained.

"Alright, mate, come on." Sirius said, standing up.

"Where?" James asked.

"I think we need to bring you to the Hospital Wing." Sirius told him. James looked at him for a moment.

"You're not joking are you? You just don't believe me!" James said incredulously, looking at all of our faces.

"It doesn't make sense, mate." Peter shook his head.

"How!" He demanded with a look of disbelief. "What do you think?" He asked me. I gave him an apologetic look.

"Sorry, but it doesn't make sense." I shook my head. I shrugged apologetically at his crestfallen face.

"He called her a you-know-what more times than I can count! He's always giving you guys nasty glares, he's hurt her a fair number of times. She takes away his 'best student' status, according to Slughorn, because Slughorn absolutely adores her." Remus listed off.

"But still, I see the looks in his eyes! Whenever he looks at me! It's like I used to look at him! It's _jealousy_. They were friends before, right? Who says it's not possible!" James demanded, trying to bring the argument back.

"No, the looks in his eyes are definitely not _jealousy_." Sirius told him. "They're more like raw hatred. For both of you." We all nodded in agreement.

"But he's definitely. It only makes sense!" James exclaimed, looking at all of us again.

"No, James, it doesn't. You're just jumping to conclusions." I said, shaking my head.

"No, I'm not! I've seen how he looks at me! It's in the exact same way I used to look at him!" James insisted. Maybe he really does need that rest.

"You're basing this all on hunches! You don't have any real proof of anything you're saying!" I argued. "Just calm down. Maybe you're just tired. Take the night off, I'll get one of them to patrol with me tonight, okay?" I told him, patting his hand.

"But…!" He objected looking crestfallen.

"No, I agree completely, you need some rest. I'll patrol with Lily tonight." Sirius told him forcefully.

"I still think it's possible." He said, being as stubborn as ever. I smiled.

"One day, you'll realize just about how insane you sound right now, and we'll all look back and laugh at this, okay?" I told him with a slight smile. He sighed really loudly.

"I'm going to go start my essay." He grumbled, and went to my bag to get a piece of parchment.

"He _really _needs that rest." Sirius shook his head.

* * *

**A/N: Well...James has a hunch (that happens to be correct) but no one believes him...sound familiar?  
*hint-It happened with another Potter concerning a certain blond Slytherin ;)**

**I'd like to thank all of you for the crazy amount of reviews! There was some kind of explosion of reviews last chapter, and I'm really happy about that :) Special thanks to _kywang8 _for reviewing several times, and the rest of my stories!**

REVIEW!

**Until next Friday,**

**Love,**  
**SAM :)**


	41. Hills

Chapter 41: Hills

"I can't believe you agreed to do this, Lily…" James said, shaking his head.

"Neither can we." Marlene and Alex replied in unison.

I, Lily Marie Evans, have agreed to go on a double date on _Valentine's Day_.

Sirius pretended to have a heart attack when I agreed, and proceeded to run around the Gryffindor Common Room, screaming that the world was ending.

"You know, maybe we should just stop figuring out why, and enjoy this?" James suggested. I nodded gratefully.

"Yes. So where are we going?" I asked, linking hands with James.

"I thought we decided Pudifoot's?" Alex asked. Marlene and I started laughing.

"I don't quite think we'll be allowed in there." I confessed to them.

"What'd you do?" James asked, a proud, wide smile on his face.

"We walked in, deciding to have lunch or something," I started.

"And then we made fun of the waiter." Marlene added.

"And then we started covering the place with pink and silvery paint." I finished.

"That's actually a really good idea! Why haven't we thought of that?" James asked rhetorically. My eyes widened at the thought of them actually using it.

"But you can't because we already did. It would make it unoriginal." I explained to him quickly.

"Good point…" He said, but I didn't miss the mischievous glint in his eyes.

"So back to the original question, where are we going?" Marlene asked.

"I think we'll do the picnic that we did on our first date, Lily." James suggested.

"Sounds great." I agreed.

"You two okay with a picnic?" James asked them. They both nodded. "Misty?" James called out. The little house elf appeared in front of us with a _pop!_ "Misty, can you please prepare a picnic for us? I'll call out again when we're ready." James asked. She nodded mutely and disappeared with a _pop!_

"Is she okay?" I whispered to him. She was usually so much more upbeat than that!

"She's still recovering. She's so used to taking care of them, and watching after them." James explained quickly. I hope she feels better soon. Maybe I could visit her some time.

"Alright, so off to Honeydukes?" James asked.

"Yes, come on, don't you owe Remus some chocolate?" I asked him. He nodded.

"For what?" Marlene asked.

"He took over my patrolling for a week, so in exchange, I promised him the one thing he can't resist: chocolate." James replied with a grin. "It's sort of a win-lose situation. It's worth the extra time, but I spend less time with Lily this way."

"I know how you feel. Marlene will go off patrolling, and then I'm left like that, with nothing to do!" Alex agreed.

"Did you hear about the last Quidditch game?" James asked him.

"The one the Irish played in? With us?" Alex clarified.

"That one, yes! How'd it go? It completely went by me!" James replied. At that point, I decided to tune out their conversation.

We were all careful to give James extra time to sleep and do work ever since he came to the conclusion that Snape loved me. Just yesterday, when we reluctantly asked him about it, he agreed it might have been the lack of sleep and all the stress that made him think like that, so we were all relieved.

No one still brought up the topic of the Order of Phoenix yet. I was itching to bring it up, but I always backed down at the last second. I didn't want to bring it up in front of Marlene and Alex just yet, I thought I'd ask James first. I really needed to talk about this. It's been on my head for weeks now, and I can't stop thinking about it. The more I think about it, the more I want to join. It sounds great, the entire idea of it. And then being in such close contact with Dumbledore, even after we leave Hogwarts, makes me feel a lot safer.

"Lily!" James said, and I realized this had been the third time he called my name.

"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking." I said quickly, a slight blush creeping on my cheeks. We were in front of Honeydukes.

"Which candy do you think Remus would like best?" James asked as we entered.

"James, it's _obviously_chocolate!" I laughed, rolling my eyes a little.

"Yeah, but which _one_! There are so many to choose from!" James complained, looking down the chocolate aisle.

"Which one's his favorite?" I asked.

"I don't know! He's always hid it from us!" James pouted.

"Just pick it randomly." I suggested. He shrugged, and went along the chocolate aisle, picking up every 5th type of chocolate.

"Okay, I think we're good." James said, glancing down at his full arms. I took some from him.

"It's crowded, we'll wait outside." Marlene said. They left quickly and I wondered if I should bring it up. I looked around. There were _way_ too many people here, and it was fairly quiet. I couldn't risk being overheard! I put the chocolate I had down on the counter as James brought out his wallet. The cashier bagged the candy and James gave him the money. He picked up the bag, and took my hand in his other hand. We weaved through the crowd to get back outside. Sirius, Remus, and Peter were with Marlene and Alex.

"Oh, good, you're here! Take this! It's payment for patrolling for me." James said. Remus' face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Thanks!" He said happily, and walked back to the direction of the castle.

"Can we borrow the Cloak?" Sirius whispered to James. He nodded and smoothly handed Sirius the Cloak. He quickly walked away with Peter, and they turned a corner.

"They're going to try to figure out where Remus is hiding his chocolate stash?" I guessed.

"Yes." James confirmed. "But they will fail because he's too smart for that, and they're too stupid to realize that. They'll be arguing even when we get back." James shook his head.

"You know, I had it all wrong for all this time. You're the normal one; they're the insane ones." I said.

"I'm not sure, Lily. I still think it's Remus." Marlene said.

"Me too." Alex agreed.

"He's too obsessed with Quidditch. Sirius is….Sirius…and Peter, well that's self-explanatory. That only leaves Remus." Marlene explained.

"When you put it that way…" I started.

"Lily!" James objected, feigning offense. I rolled my eyes.

"Come on, where shall we go next?" I asked, looking around.

"I need to drop something off at Three Broomsticks. My mum's good friends with the barmaid there." Alex said. I giggled and elbowed James.

"James used to have a crush on her." I told them, raising my eyebrows at James.

"Who told you that?" James demanded, turning red.

"Sirius." Marlene and I answered at the same time.

"I was there when he told us." She explained.

"Well I don't anymore!" He said, his color slowly returning back to normal color. We laughed.

"I think that's obvious." Alex said, looking towards me, causing James to look positively flustered. If someone told me, this time two years ago, that _James Potter_ would turn red and be _flustered_, I'd tell them they were crazy. But, ever since he entered my life, it's changed so much.

"Come on, let's make fun of all of the gross couples, guys!" James suggested, in an obvious attempt to change the subject.

"James, if you haven't realized it, you and Lily are probably number one on that list." Marlene laughed, and Alex nodded in agreement.

"Wait, what?" James and I said together, exchanging a glance.

"You two are known for not being able to keep your hands off of each other." Alex said, starting to walk towards the Three Broomsticks. Well, as true as that is…

"But…still!" I said, not really making sense.

"You guys are joined by the hip!" James retorted. They exchanged a glance.

"That's not _nearly_ as bad as being known for always touching each other." Marlene said. I silently agreed. It's not.

"Over half the school thinks you've already slept with her!" Alex added.

"Well, technically that's true," James started. Marlene looked at me with wide eyes. "Just not in the way they think it is." He finished quickly.

"Exactly." I shook my head. The things people assume. "Sirius is probably behind all this." I said.

"He probably is." James snorted. We reached the Three Broomsticks. Alex took something out of his pocket.

"It'll be quick, you can stay here." He told us. He walked in, and within a few seconds, walked right out. "Okay, now that I've done that," He started.

"I think we can eat lunch." James finished. "Where shall we go?" He asked me and Marlene. We shrugged.

"Anywhere." I answered.

"I have just the spot." Alex said, gesturing closer to the castle, and looking at Marlene.

"Perfect." She replied.

"Where?" I asked.

"Right by the lake." Alex answered. James and I grinned at each other.

"What happened there?" Marlene asked as we walked towards the castle.

"Besides the infamous incident after O.W.L.'s? It was the day after our first date." James said.

"Everyone else left, and it was just us." I added.

"I remember that day clearly. It was when everything was still somewhat normal." James sighed.

"Normal? That was the day after a bunch of Slytherins attacked us!" I scoffed.

"True…" He muttered.

"I think this looks good." Alex said, looking around. We were right across from the trees where James taunted Snape.

"Misty." James called out loud. Misty appeared with a small _pop_!

"Here!" She said quietly, handing James the basket. She left before we could say 'thank you.' We sat down and James started passing out the food.

"I love Hogwarts food." Marlene said through mouthfuls.

"Yeah, I'm going to miss it when we leave." Alex agreed.

"Isn't it so sad to think, that in half a year, we'll be out of here?" I sighed.

"We've spent seven years here…that's a good portion of my life that I can remember." James agreed, taking another bite of his sandwich.

"Going out there…"I started, looking towards the gates of Hogwarts, "It'll be different. And scary."

"Not being under Dumbledore's protection is terrifying." Alex agreed. "That's the one thing I'll be most afraid of." If we were to join the Order of Phoenix, we would most definitely be under Dumbledore's protection.

"Any idea what you're going to do after you leave?" I asked them. They exchanged a glance.

"Not particularly…" They started. They exchanged another glance. There was something weird about it…

"Oh." I said, deciding to ignore it.

"And you two?" They asked. I hesitated. That Auror idea I had wasn't so good anymore, next to the Order of Phoenix idea.

"Auror." James replied automatically. "I've always wanted to be one."

"Same." I shrugged. It wasn't a lie. It just was no longer my ambition to become an Auror. We ate in silence for just a little bit, listening to the birds chirp, and the distant laughter of students.

"It's just going to feel so weird, knowing next September, we won't be getting on the train to come here again." Alex sighed, putting his plate aside.

"We won't be sitting in any of their classes anymore." Marlene added, adding her plate on top of Alex's.

"We won't have to do homework anymore." James added happily.

"You didn't even start doing that until fifth year!" I said, rolling my eyes.

"Yes, but before then, it didn't even count!" James defended.

"Very true. I did the same thing." Alex said.

"While Lily sat in the corner of the Common Room, doing essays _weeks _before it was due." Marlene teased, sending them into laughter.

"I did not!" I huffed. "The earliest I did an essay was _one_ week in advance." I muttered quietly. James shook his head as he rounded up our plates.

"Always the over-achiever." He murmured. I stuck my tongue out at him. We cleaned up our food, and neatly put everything back in the basket. "Misty?" James called out. She appeared in front of us with a _pop_!

"Yes-_hic_-Master?" She giggled, swaying from side to side. I groaned.

"She's _drunk_!" James whispered to me, confirming my fears. "Misty, why don't we take you back to the kitchens?" He asked.

"You two can come, if you want." I said, turning to Alex and Marlene. They shrugged.

"Sure." Marlene said. James took Misty's hand in one of his, and then held the basket in the other as we walked towards the castle. We passed many people who gave Misty weird looks, since she was still swaying and hiccuping. Her eyes were glossy and she kept giggling.

"We should have visited her more often!" James groaned as Misty tried to escape once more. The corridors were empty and we were walking quickly, so we reached the kitchens in no time. I stepped forward to tickle the pear as Alex and Marlene watched in awe. We entered, and were immediately greeting by one of the elves.

"Hi, James-oh." The little elf said. "What happened to Misty?" He asked, his eyes widening.

"Can you please take care of her, and make sure she stays away from the Whiskey?" James asked him.

"Of course!" He squeaked, taking Misty's hand and leading her into the corner of the kitchen.

"Okay, Common room?" James asked, turning to us. We left the Kitchens, and I figured, right now, in the corridor would be a great time to bring it up. But I'd have to be quiet about it.

"James, do they _all _know you?" Marlene asked, before I could say anything.

"Yes, I've been actively coming here since 1st year!" James said proudly.

"How'd you find it?" Alex asked.

"Fabian and Gideon." James and I answered at the same time.

"Wait," He said. "How'd you know?"

"I figured they probably told you about it. It's pretty difficult to guess by yourself. Unless you've opened an early edition of _Hogwarts: A History_. Which, you haven't." I said. He laughed.

"True."

I glanced at James as we passed through the corridors. I took a deep breath. Come on, Lily, it's not that hard.

"James?" I whispered. He gave me a questioning glance. I took another breath. "I've been thinking about the Order of Phoenix your parents mentioned." I said slowly. He stopped in his tracks, but quickly resumed walking once more. He didn't respond for a while, and I was worried. Was he mad? Did he not like the idea? Maybe he's just thinking. But he's probably assuming the worst. Maybe he's been thinking about it, too.

"We'll take Moony, Padfoot, and Wormtail up to the Room of Requirement tonight." He whispered to me. He didn't sound mad. That was good. Maybe this would go smoother than I expected! James told the portrait the password and we stepped through. Sirius, Remus, and Peter were sitting on the couch in the common room, talking.

"I'll see you later, Lily." Marlene smiled, glancing at Alex and then glancing at me. I grinned. I knew what this meant.

"Bye." I replied with a wink. James and I walked over to the three on the couch.

"We're going to talk about it, today, in the Room of Requirement." James told them, barely above a whisper.

"Now? or Later?" Remus asked.

"Directly after dinner." James replied, glancing at the clock behind us. They nodded. I took a breath. This was hopefully going to go smoothly.

* * *

Over dinner, I only made myself more nervous. By the time we left the Great Hall, I could hardly contain myself. It took every ounce of my self control to stop myself from pushing past everyone and dashing up to the Room of Requirement as quickly as possible. The others seemed to be in no hurry, and we, unfortunately, fell well behind the crowd to go upstairs. I tried to keep myself busy by listening to their conversation, but I just couldn't concentrate. All the excitement and curiosity had built itself up in the last few weeks, and the thought of being able to finally discuss it was so nerve-wracking! I tried breathing deeply, inhaling, and exhaling, extremely slowly. Finally, after what seemed like _hours_, we arrived at the seventh floor.

"Alright, I'll open the room." James said, and then proceeded to walk in front of the wall much too slowly, in my opinion. Finally, after the door appeared, James opened it, and I walked quickly into the room. It was an exact replica of his room. I couldn't help but push my excitement aside, to just be here for him as he got used to it. "That's funny…I didn't quite ask for this." James muttered.

"The room gives you what you want, James, and maybe you actually wanted this." I said lightly, gesturing the room. We sat next to each other on the floor, our backs against the bed. Remus, Peter, and Sirius sat across from us. We gave James a few minutes to compose himself, and concentrate on the matter at hand.

"So. The Order of Phoenix." James started. "We haven't really talked about it too much, actually. Just once or twice."

"Once or twice? Prongs, you wouldn't shut up about it!" Sirius said, shaking his head. Good! Then he'd understand my excitement!

"I haven't been able to keep my mind off of it, either." I admitted.

"What?" James asked sharply.

"I've been thinking about it a lot…and I want to join." I said slowly. James blinked at me.

"You…want….to join?" He asked carefully. I raised my eyebrow.

"Yes." I replied, nervously laughing a little. He averted his eyes and sat back against the bed, and ran a hand through his hair. I looked at Sirius, Remus and Peter. They looked worried.

"I…" James started. He took a breath. He looked at me again. "Don't want you to." He finished. My eyebrows shot up.

"Excuse me?" I demanded.

"I don't want you to." James repeated, looking me right in the eye. He had a different look in his eyes. Something told me he was going to fight for this. And I didn't like it.

"And why not?" I replied harshly, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Because you _can't_." James replied, unfazed by my tone.

"And why is that?" I asked, raising my voice and narrowing my eyes.

"It's just…" He said, raising his own voice.

"I swear, James, if this has _anything _to do with me being a girl," I started, flaring my nostrils slightly.

"No, of course it doesn't!" He cut me off loudly and quickly. "You just _can't_ join!" He snapped.

"And why not, James? Why _not_? What do I have to lose? I have _nothing_!" I yelled back, digging my nails into my palm, trying to keep from crying.

"You have _me_!" He shouted. "Is that not enough?"

"I thought you'd understand!" I said, clenching my jaw. "I thought you'd agree, I thought you'd want to join, too!"

"I do! I don't want _you_ to join!" He yelled again, almost completely red in the face. I stood up.

"You can't tell me what to do." I sneered. He stood up, too. "I want to join, and I was hoping you'd understand. But, I guess not." I paused. "I'm not a sideline person, James. I will do whatever I can to help, to _fight_." I looked at him. "And I'm not letting you get in the way of that." I finished determinedly. I spun on my heel and crossed the room to leave, tears swimming in my eyes, threatening to fall.

* * *

**A/N: Well. Not gonna lie, that was TONS of fun to write.**

Review please?

Love,  
SAM :)  



	42. No

Chapter 42: No.

I sat back and sighed, putting my head in my hands. Why didn't she understand? I wasn't ready to face the possibility of losing her yet. Not after what just happened!

What did she mean by that last part, 'And I'm not letting you get in the way of that.'? I let it echo around my head for a while, and my throat went dry. She couldn't possibly think of breaking up with me, right? I shuddered at that thought. I was confident that I would not be able to live without her anymore.

I bit my lip to keep from letting the tears fall and just horribly wished my parents were here. They'd help me think of something. They'd help me somehow get out of this. They'd give me a perfectly good solution that would somehow solve the problem.

I looked around this room. It was practically mocking me, reminding me of my house, and how they weren't around anymore. I concentrated on the Shrieking Shack's inside. I didn't want to be in a place that would remind me of Lily. I just hoped Moony wouldn't mind. I opened my eyes and looked around once more. I was now leaning on the old bed that was put here for Moony. I looked up and sighed. Three sets of pitiful eyes were on me.

"I don't think she meant that, mate." Padfoot feebly tried to assure me. I sighed. Yes, she did. And even if she hadn't meant it while she was saying it, she would definitely mean it now. She never said things she didn't mean, no matter how irrationally she was thinking. Things would slip out of course, but she'd almost always realize that she did mean what she said.

"I, if you don't mind me saying, think that you should stop feeling sorry for yourself. And possibly let us help?" Moony said, being the ever-wise one. Everyone needs that wise friend. They're just not complete without them.

"Yeah, I agree. The sooner you can figure this out, the sooner you can forget about it." Padfoot added. I just wished it was that simple. Something told me it wasn't going to be. But, first, I needed a little analysis of the situation. We were such girls when it came to this type of stuff. . .

"Can you three just forget about my feelings and honestly help me? Because there's no way I'm letting her join. I'm not going to let her put herself in that type of danger everyday. I can't lose her." I explained.

"Prongs, she can take care of herself, you know that." Moony said lightly.

"She's not going to like being all alone while _you_go fight everyday." Peter added quietly.

"Then I'll not join with her!" I said stubbornly, crossing my arms over my chest. They exchanged an alarmed glance. Good. They knew I was serious now! Maybe we'd get somewhere.

"You're not letting this go, are you?" Moony asked fearfully. I shook my head.

"Now that we're all on the same page," They exchanged a glance, but I ignored it, "Please, all feelings set aside, can you help me figure out what just happened?" I asked them again. They didn't need to answer, I knew they were going to help.

"Should I think of it in her point of view, or in general?" Moony asked, already a master at both. It was what I used to make him do after every conversation I had with her, before we started dating.

"Err…both, please?" I requested.

"Well, the way I think she sees it," He always adds that, as some kind of a disclaimer that he might be wrong, but he usually never is, "She's got nothing to lose - no, let me finish - her parents are dead, her sister and brother-in-law hate her, and us and Marlene are her only friends. She's restless Prongs. She wants to do something. You've noticed the way she looks at all those deaths in the paper. I think she wants to do something and do it once she gets out of here. She doesn't want to wait until 3 years of training to do something. The Order of the Phoenix just conveniently comes running her way. She's going to make the most of this opportunity." Moony said. "And in general, both of you are being terribly irrational, and not listening to each other, and that's never good. You need to understand each other." He finished.

"You know how stubborn she is. She's not going to stop until she gets what she wants." Padfoot added.

"And your abrupt 'no' didn't quite help, either. You set her off." Wormtail added, and the other two nodded in agreement. I had quite the struggle, trying to keep quiet and suppressing my arguments.

"But I still can't lose her. You know how dependent on her I am! What happened last year, in January, definitely proves that." I reminded them, referring to the time I threw myself off the Astronomy Tower since I thought Lily cheated on me, when she was actually under the Imperius Curse. They shuddered at the memory. "And you know what bothers me the most?" I continued, anger rising in me once more, "She never mentioned this once to me. I had no idea that she wanted to do this! I thought she was still aiming for the Academy! Clearly she's been thinking about this for a while, and since we're along so often, she could've brought it up at any time! But she didn't!" I fumed. They exchanged another glance, and it was almost a sarcastic type of glance. "What?" I snapped. They shook their heads. "I'm going to bed." I said angrily, turning the room back to the familiarity of my room back in my house. They looked at each other and quickly left. I pulled myself on to the bed behind me, pulled the covers over my head and turned off the lights.

Meanwhile…

I left the room with tears slowly trickling down my cheeks. Had I really meant what I said? I walked quickly, putting the thoughts aside for a little bit.

Yes.

The word came to me so suddenly that I actually stopped walking. When I started walking again, I couldn't suppress my questions. Why had I randomly thought 'yes'? Was it any answer to my previous question? It indeed was, I decided. There was no way James was going to get in the way of this. Even if that meant breaking up with him. I dug my nails into my palm, thinking of this. I couldn't imagine myself even moving on. I couldn't imagine myself loving anyone else besides James. I couldn't imagine standing at the altar with anyone besides James. It was unthinkable. I swiftly and quietly made my way down to the Kitchens. I'd wanted to visit Misty for a while. No time like the present, right? I reached the Kitchen without any obstructions and tickled the pear. The door swung open, and I stepped in.

"Miss Lily!" One of the elves squealed in delight. "I is Rusty, miss!" He squealed.

"H-How do you know me?" I asked, stifling a yawn. I wearily looked around, trying to spot Misty.

"Misty and Master James always talk about miss, and miss's hair. . . and her eyes!" He said, his eyes trailing towards my vibrant hair color and then to my eyes again. This was a smart house elf. "Would miss like anything to eat?" He asked politely. I shook my head.

"I just ate, thank you." I smiled.

"Then please sit!" He insisted, gesturing the nearest table. I nodded and complied. He looked at me expectantly.

"Where's Misty?" I asked him. His wide, energetic smile faltered.

"Misty is not doing well. Rusty will go call Misty." He muttered, and scurried away. I frowned. Poor Misty. She was feeling the effects worse than all of us. His parents being gone wouldn't quite hit James completely until he left Hogwarts and realized he had no one to go to. Misty spent the last six months with them, taking care of them every day.

It was a few minutes before Rusty emerged, dragging Misty behind him. She saw me and eyes lit up. I gave her a weak smile, still guilty about not visiting her before. Misty gingerly sat across from me, wiping her tears as she did so. Her blue orbs seemed to be glowing brighter than usual and her nose was a light-pinkish tinge, showing signs of crying.

"I'm sorry we haven't visited." I said apologetically, and remembering that if James kept up his fight, there would be no "us" or "we". I pushed the thought aside and tried to focus on Misty.

"Master and Miss have been busy, Misty knows." She sniffed. I shook my head.

"That's true, but it doesn't make it anymore okay." I countered. "I really am sorry." I said again, after a small pause.

"Is something wrong, Miss?" She asked me, tilting her head, her eyes suddenly void of all tears. "Miss has been crying." She observed. I hastily wiped my eyes again, but realized I probably had the same appearance she did, and there wasn't much I could do to fix it.

"It's nothing." I replied quickly, waving my hand dismissively.

"Please do tell. The other elves say Misty is the best listener." She told me. I considered for a moment. She was a smart, observant elf. Even if she couldn't help, it wouldn't _hurt_.

"Well, it all started with some-wait," I interrupted myself. "You have to promise to not repeat this information or speak of this information to anyone but me, James, Sirius, Remus, or Peter." I told her sternly. She nodded.

"Understood, miss."

"Well, there was this secret organization the five of us had found out about." I started again, being careful not to mention James' parents. I had her distracted, I didn't want to bring anything back. "They fight Voldemort." She didn't flinch, so I assumed she was used to it because of James' parents. "I was keen on joining, so after a lot of thought, I told James today, but he said he didn't want me to join. I was upset and told him that I wasn't going to let him get in the way of me joining. So we got into a pretty bad argument, and I don't know what's happening." I finished, allowing my eyes to water up again at the memory.

"Masters and Miss are very brave." She said quietly. "But Master James and Miss will fix this." She assured me. "Master and Miss are too close and love each other too much." She decided. I sincerely hoped she was right.

"Thank you, Misty." I said, glad to get the incident off my chest. "It really does mean a lot for you to say that." I smiled at her. She beamed at me. I yawned loudly. "Misty," I started hesitantly. "I-is it okay if I sleep here for the night?" I asked. I knew he wouldn't be in our dorm room, but everything in there reminded me of him. Actually, even here reminded me of him, since he was the one who showed me this place. But, I'd have to leave the castle grounds to find a place that had no reminders of him anywhere.

"Misty would love if Miss did!" She squealed in delight. She snapped her fingers and a large, comforting bed appeared a few feet away, looking very much like my own bed in the dorms. Looking at it closer, I realized it actually _was_my bed from the dorms.

"Thank you, Misty." I said gratefull.

"Would miss like Misty to wake her up tomorrow? For school?" She asked as I made my way towards the bed. I groaned to myself. I had _classes_ tomorrow. And in every class, I sat _right_next to James. If he didn't apologize first thing in Potions tomorrow, the rest of the day would was going to be awful.

"That would be nice, Misty. Thank you." I smiled. I could probably take a shower in the Prefects' bathroom. I climbed on to the inviting bed.

"Goodnight, Miss." Misty said.

"Goodnight." I replied quietly, putting the covers over my head. She snapped her fingers, and the lights went out, while I fell further and further into sleep's awaiting arms.

The next morning…

I walked alongside them after we had showered and eaten. We were on our way to the first class of the day-Potions. It would be impossible to avoid Lily for the entire day, so if she didn't apologize in Potions, the rest of the day was going to be painful. I had a dream last night that convinced me-I was not going to let Lily do anything that would potentially put her in danger.

_I was coming home from an Order mission, back to Lily, back to our house. The front door was open, and I was immediately worried. I gingerly pushed open the front door and gasped at the sight of all the broken items. Glass thrown everywhere, pictures askew. It looked like a tornado ran through the house! I rushed into the kitchen. It was also in complete turmoil, the pots and pans all over the floor and a few glasses broken on the ground. I stepped on a picture. It was of my parents. It was still in the photo frame, but the photo frame was broken into pieces. I picked it up. I continued through the house, trying to find Lily. I entered the dining room and nearly screamed at the sight It was Lily. She was unmoving, and clearly dead. Her arm was split open, and written in her own blood, right next to her, was the message, "You shouldn't have joined, Mudblood." _

I woke up sweaty and close to tears and made a final decision. She would not be joining and I'd do whatever it takes to make sure she still lived.

"Come on, mate, it'll be okay." Padfoot said encouragingly, bumping my arm. As we approached the Potions classroom, I spotted Lily walking towards the door from the opposite direction. I would need self-control today, something I usually didn't have while I was around her. She entered the room without glancing up at us. We wordlessly followed. I took a deep breath, and hoped she was planning on apologizing.

* * *

**A/N: I apologize for not updating for a LONG time...a thousand things came up all at once :P It wasn't good at all.**

**I'm also sorry for the shortness of this chapter! **

**By the way, for those of you who enjoy LilyxJames, I just put up a one shot! **

**But, I'm 5 away from 300 reviews, so maybe you'll still be nice to me? Please?**

**Love,**  
**SAM :)**


	43. This is War

Chapter 43: This is War

I could feel all four of their eyes on me as I walked into the Potions room. Slughorn was still in his office. That's good, it might give James a chance to apologize. I walked over to my usual seat next to James and across from Mucliber and Snape. James came up next to me and put his bag on the table and just looked at me. I looked back at him, and the brightness of his hazel eyes nearly took my breath away. After a few moments, I realized, we were wearing the same look. He was expecting an apology from _me_? Not happening. I sat down in my seat, deciding I'd have to find out a way to get him as far away from me as possible for this class. It's the only one we actually had to _talk _to each other. Slughorn came out of his office right then.

"Professor?" I called out, using my angelic voice. Slughorn's face automatically brightened up. He came over to me.

"Yes, what can I do for you?" He asked eagerly.

"Well, Sirius asked me for help in Potions," I invented quickly. "So I was wondering if he and James could switch seats?" I asked. I made sure to keep my eyes locked on Slughorn as I said this. Sirius was working with Peter, who was the worst at Potions in our class, so it made sense that Sirius would need help. And, they sat in the back corner, which is the farthest from my seat.

"Of course, of course!" Slughorn boomed. "A wise thing to do, Mr. Black, asking Ms. Evans for help! Come, come. Oh, Potter, you'll have to work with Pettigrew in the back." He added. I looked at my desk to keep from looking at James' face. It was probably shocked, and kind of mad. Slowly, I could hear Sirius coming to sit next to me, and he dumped his bag noisily on the desk. I could feel myself turn red, so I covered my face with my curtain of hair. Slughorn quickly described to us about some potion, a pretty easy one, too. All too soon, he stopped talking, and requested us to make it. I nearly groaned out loud.

"Well, I guess you can go get the ingredients and I'll set this up." I said to Sirius, not meeting his eyes, instead, just fiddling with the fire under the cauldron. I saw him get up off his chair and go to the closet. I finally allowed myself to look up, and figured it'd be five minutes before he came back.

"I've got it all." He said, coming up behind me. I nearly dropped my wand in surprise. How did he get back so quickly?

"Oh, um, g-good. Set them down here." I muttered feebly.

"Lily, we, Moony, Wormtail, and I, we're not taking sides here." Sirius said, loud enough for Snape and Mucliber to hear. I could see them lean forward slightly.

"I-If anything happens," I gulped, and took in a huge breath. "If anything happens," I repeated solidly, "I don't expect you to talk to me, any of you." I said. Only then it really hit me. Losing James would mean losing not only my boyfriend, it'd mean losing the only guy I'd probably ever love, and losing my best friend, all in one. And it would mean losing contact with the other three, who've become like my brothers now.

"Well, I can't speak for them, but Lily, you're too good of a friend to lose, I'm not going to stop talking to you." He said. "You've understood my family issue more than any of them, and you've always been here for me. Even the beginning of last year, when the rest of them were ready to kill me." He said. I finally looked up at him, and I could see nothing but sincerity. I sighed.

"Thanks, Sirius, it really means a lot." I said quietly.

"No problem." He said, giving me a quick, one-armed hug.

I looked up from our finished potion, and wiped some sweat off my forehead.

I threw myself into making this potion, and paid attention to every last detail of it. It was probably the best potion I've ever made.

"Miss Evans! This is amazing! Just an absolute piece of _work_!" Slughorn boomed, thoroughly impressed. "Perhaps without Mr. Potter next to you and distracting you, you do much better, eh?" He chuckled. "I want everyone to come up and look at this. This is from the skill of a true Potion maker!" No one moved. "Come, come, no need to be shy!" He encouraged, and slowly, people started to move towards our table.

I was surprised to see Snape was leaning slightly forward. I didn't realize he was actually interested to see what mine looked like. But of course, he did have a knack for Potions himself. Not many people did. Magic was usually associated with wands and incantations, and no one really stopped to look at Potions. I found it fascinating, how the ingredients mixed together, and how two lethal substances could come together to make something that saved lives! There was such a variety of ingredients and we're yet to even half of them.

"Lovely Lily, I will yet again request that you take over my spot as Potions Master after Hogwarts!" He said, "Perhaps I can go into a peaceful retirement!" I looked up at him, and right behind him was James, and I knew he was listening in.

"Professor," I started loudly enough so James could hear without having to eavesdrop. "I am flattered. However, I have other plans that I _won't_be giving up on." I stressed. Remus turned up behind James, put a hand on his shoulder, and slowly led him away.

Well. Lily: 1, James: 0

The next class we had today was Charms. Once again, I sat next to James, but we sat in the front, again, since Flitwick liked me, too. It felt weird. I was just sitting in my chair, too far apart from James for my liking, and wanted nothing more to than just reach out and touch him. I kept my hands firmly on my lap.

"Alright everyone, I think to practice for the upcoming N.E.W.T.'s, we should practice some nonverbal spells!" Flitwick announced. Oh, was he going to pair us up together? James was rubbish at nonverbal spells, and only managed to turn his face purple when he tried! "Practice with the person sitting at the same table as you." He said. Oh, that would _still _put me with James! I had a feeling I couldn't get out of this one. "Oh, I have a magnificent idea. How about one of you tries putting water on the other, and the other tries deflecting it? That way we can work on both skills that we never correctly mastered!" Flitwick added enthusiastically. James and I stayed at the front of the room, just moved away the desks.

"I-I'll start." He said, trying to sound confident and normal. It wasn't quite working. It was a good thing you were supposed to pay attention the person's wand, not their eyes. James' eyes were much too distracting. I watched, and waited. And watched some more. After what felt like forever, a little water came out of his wand. Sirius snickered from behind him.

"Nice going, mate." He laughed. Remus shot some water at him silently. "Moony!" Sirius yelled in distraught. Sirius turned around and tried to silently hit Remus with water. I turned back to James' wand. Some water started to shoot out, so I silently yelled _Protego_! I successfully made the shield. Had I been any closer, I probably wouldn't have gotten it up fast enough.

"Nice job, the both of you! 20 points for Gryffindor!" Flitwick said, coming around to us. "Switch now!" I pointed my wand at James, and gave him a second or two. _Aguamenti_! I thought to myself, and the water came shooting out of my wand. James didn't get the shield charm up, and ended up getting wet with a fair amount of water. "Wonderful, Miss Evans, 10 points to Gryffindor! Mr. Potter, you could use a little work." He added. I dried off James with a flick of my wand. "Oh, how wonderful, you managed to master that, too!" Flitwick said in glee. "I was going to do it myself, but you beat me to, it! Take another 5 points!" He smiled at me. "I suppose you two can take a break now." He added, before moving to correct Sirius and Remus.

I sat back down in my rigid position and tried to keep my mind off of the chaos in my life right now.

"Hi Lily." Marlene said, sliding in the seat next to me.

"Hi Marlene." I replied, glad for the distraction that I needed. "Hi, Alex." I added, looking behind her.

"Hey." He replied, and started working on some homework.

"Are you and James alright? You both seem a bit…off today. And you had him switch seats with Sirius. And you're sitting here all rigid?" She asked in a hushed whisper.

"It's just a small fight that should be over in a matter of time." I replied ambiguously. "But thanks for asking." I added.

"We're doing our best to kill any rumors, by the way." She said, pointing between her and Alex. I groaned.

"Rumors? Already?" I asked.

"Of course," She laughed, "He's James Potter, and you're Lily Evans. I'm pretty sure there's a group of people keeping tabs on your relationship and your movements." My eyes widened. That's creepy. "In class and in the hallways, at least. People have better things to do after school hours." She assured me. That was somewhat of a relief. "People refuse to believe you broke up, because that's impossible." She said. I could feel my cheeks turn red.

"I don't know, it's very much possible, we're just like any other couple, with our own problems, and stuff." I said, turning to look forward. I side-glanced at her, and she raised an eyebrow.

"Although, in our case, it's a bit odd, because protection out of love, for some reason, is not appreciated nor accepted." James butted in bitterly. "A bit insane, yes?" Alex and Marlene exchanged a glance and slowly nodded.

"Alright everyone, back to your seats!" Flitwick said, interrupting whatever Marlene was going to say. She and Alex quickly got up and went back to their seats. I sneaked a glance at James and he was staring at me, his eyes hard and cold.

Lily: 1, James: 1.

Well played, Potter, well played.

I spent through the rest of my classes completely ignoring James, as James did with me. We spoke no more to each other, nor did we direct any comments towards each other again.

I started heading towards the kitchens at the end of my last class for a little snack, but Marlene grabbed me by the arm, and dragged me away from the crowd. We walked a little bit forward, turned in the corridor, and found ourselves in a small empty hallway.

"What is going on?" She demanded. I sighed. I really should've expected this. Should I tell her? It was very much possible that she already knew of the existence. She and Alex were already from the families who wanted Voldemort gone as much as the muggleborns. "You're both acting horribly strange today."

"So you and Alex had sex?" I asked, partially to try and change the subject.

"Don't try to change the subject!" She said. I didn't say anything. "Okay, yes, we did." She said, rolling her eyes a little and blushing slightly.

"Nice job!" I said, giving her an encouraging pat on the arm.

"That sounds like something Sirius would say." She said, rolling her eyes a bit. "But, once again, don't try to change the subject!" I could trust Marlene. She wouldn't tell a soul. Except maybe Alex, but if I said to not tell him, she probably wouldn't unless she wanted to join. If she did, it would be great. I could probably convince James to let me join too, without that type of fight!

"Alright, so when James' parents died, they left a letter, explaining a secret organization Dumbledore's forming." Her eyes widened. "It's called the Order of the Phoenix."

"So you two _do _know about it!" She exclaimed.

"I….what?" I asked.

"Yes, I know about it, too." She said. "Alex and I heard about it, and we decided we wanted to join." She explained.

"That's great!" I smiled. "But, you see, that's the thing. He says he doesn't want me to join!" I screeched. "He's not even giving me a proper reason, he's just saying I can't!" She tilted her head. "So, I've been sleeping in the kitchens, and I took a shower in the Prefects' bathroom this morning, and Misty got me my clothes and school stuff." I explained.

"From what I gather, it's just that he doesn't want to lose you." Marlene shrugged.

"I've already told him, that I will join, no matter what, even if it meant breaking up with him." I told her. Her eyes widened. Good! She knew I was serious, and that I had to get this _my_way.

"But then, wouldn't he agree to what you want? Because if you're split up, there's no way he can stop you." She said.

"I don't know what goes on in his mind sometimes. I don't understand how he plans to stop me from joining even while we're together." I shook my head.

"Well…you could always ask him." She suggested with a shrug. I tilted my head. Maybe since we've given ourselves a chance to think about this, and possibly settle and calm down overnight, we'll be able to talk about it maturely?

"That's not a bad idea." I said thoughtfully. "Thanks."

"No problem." She smiled.

"I'm going to head to the Owlery to ask him to meet me outside in an hour." I said, walking backwards away from her.

"Why not just ask in person?" She asked.

"Because I don't want to face him." I said truthfully. I turned around and headed in the direction of the Owlery. As I went, I made sure to pay more attention to students and what they were talking about. I heard hushed whispers of "Potter" and "Evans" and "Lily" and "James" and conversations that stopped when I came closer to some people, and people whose eyes widened as I passed them. Marlene was right. There are people actually talking about this. I tried to keep my head down as I swerved through the people. I made my way up to the owlrey, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. Without out James next to me, I was a lot more observant and conscious of everything around me.

I climbed up to the owlrey and stood near the entrance. I looked in my bag for a small piece of parchment, some ink, and a quill. Because of the Undetectable Extension Charm I had on it, I couldn't quite find them.

"Accio Parchment." I said, and parchment flew into my hand. "Accio ink and quill." Both the ink and quill came zooming up. I put my bag down. I opened the ink bottle and set it on the windowsill. I dipped my quill in it, and starting writing on the parchment.

Meet me outside in an hour by the Black Lake.

I capped my ink and put it back in my bag along with my quill. I walked over to the first owl I saw. "Take this to James Potter. Where ever he is right now, take it to him." I said to it. The owl chirped in response and flew off. I picked up my bag and walked downstairs.

Now to wait. One hour.

Only time would tell where this fight will go.

* * *

**A/N: End of the school year work and cramming. We all hate it.  
I know most of you wanted this to be solved THIS chapter...but this type of thing takes time!  
Hope you don't hate me!**

Love,

**SAM :)  
**


	44. I Need You

_RECAP:  
Lily asks James to meet her _

* * *

Chapter 44: I Need You

The hour was passed by sitting in the courtyard, planning everything I was going to say. I knew everything I wanted to say, everything I wanted him to know. No one was leaving until I got it all out. I was going to make him decide. Either he stays with me, by my side, as we join the Order of Phoenix, or we break up, and I go alone, and still join. So whatever happened, I was going to join. No doubt he was thinking about this, and planning his argument, too. He knew how stubborn I was about this, so he was going to plan, but he was going to fail. I always won the arguments even when we weren't going out. What ever happened now, I was going to emerge as the winner, but if he chose the wrong path, I'd have to make an unfortunate sacrifice.

I stood up and with my head held high, I walked towards the Lake. I sincerely hoped he wasn't going to be too stubborn about this. Really, I wondered how he didn't see it coming. He knew I wouldn't miss a thing, and that I was most probably thinking about the Order because of the letter. And if he was thinking about the Order (according to Sirius), then he should've known I was thinking about it, too. Maybe he thought I was thinking about it, but didn't want to believe it.

The Black Lake came into view, and I first saw James, looking towards the Lake, his hair blowing slightly because of the wind. From behind him, Sirius put a hand on his shoulder and said something. He probably said I was coming, since he looked my way. I glanced around really quickly. There was no one around this. In case this got dirty, no one would witness it.

Before I could give myself more mental preparation, I reached him. Sirius disappeared up the tree nearby, and James and I stood, facing each other. I took these extra few moments to memorize his face, in case this ended badly. His hazel, caramel eyes were dead serious, but I'd seen them in so many different emotions. His cheeks had a faint blush, probably from the cold wind slapping our faces. His glasses were lopsided on his face, also probably because of the wind knocking them around. His mouth was set in almost a perfect straight line, only a slight frown tugging at the corners. His lips, pink, soft and thin, were not curve into the smile I was so used to. I knew I'd miss the lopsided grins he gave me every time I laughed at his jokes and antics. I knew I'd miss having his lips on mine.

"Lily…" He started. I'd also miss his nice, deep, assertive voice, especially during those times when it was slightly husky. I'd miss the way he said my name, like I was the most important thing in the world to him, almost like he was being careful and soft with it. I looked up to meet his eyes.

"James." I replied with a curt nod. He opened his mouth to say something, but seemed to think better of it. "James, you know why you're here." I told him, and he nodded mutely. "I want you to choose. Right now." I told him.

"I…what?" He asked, slightly taken aback.

"James, I'm joining the Order. It comes down to you, whether it's by my side or not." I shrugged.

"C-can't we talk about this?" He asked, almost pleading. Whatever he expected, he certainly did not expect this.

"What's there to talk about James?" I asked. "Actually, no, I do have a few questions for you. How do you think you'd going to stop me?"

"Beg, plead, maybe. Possibly make you pregnant and unable to fight." He shrugged. I stared at him incredulously. "Well the last one's more of worst case scenario."

"You know I won't like sitting at home while everyone else is out there fighting." I reminded him.

"Yes, and I'll sit at home with you." He said immediately. Maybe he did think this through. "Lily, you're the only one I have left, and I couldn't live if anything happened to you, hell, you're probably the only reason I'm alive right now." He said. I searched his eyes, not quite sure of what I was looking for. I did find, though, complete agony. He wasn't being stupidly cheesy, he _actually_ meant it. And really, that kind of scared me. "I know you're perfectly capable, you're probably more capable than any student in this school. Your abilities…you're a natural Auror. You're more of a natural than I am, and that's saying something, since both of my parents _and their parents_ were Aurors. You're naturally a leader, brave, and any Death Eater would be stupid to try to fight you. But I just can't lose you." I bit my lip, and took his hands in my own.

"I think I realize what you're saying now, but _I_ can't sit around and let people like me and people like my parents… and people like _you_ die _every_ day, especially with the knowledge that I can do something about it. I wouldn't want you taken from me, and I have the opportunity to stop that from happening to other innocent people. I can fight it, James, like you said. If I don't join, and you don't join, the world will lose two people it desperately _needs_. This is war, James. In war, you need to make sacrifices. Dumbledore's always saying, 'for the greater good.' This is the greater good. We _need _to join. We need to fight." I told him passionately, hoping he realized how much I needed to do this.

We stood, facing each other, the cool wind hitting our faces. It was completely silent, except for my heart, which was beating loudly and quickly against my ribcage. There was something new in his eyes, something I couldn't quite identify, but it was mixed with his agony, and I couldn't tell if this new thing was good or bad for me. Suddenly, his arms wrapped around my waist, and crushed me to his chest.

"You deserve so much better…I've thought and said that many times through the years, but now, I know more than ever." He said quietly, with that look still in his eyes. It hit me. It was _pride_.

"I don't want any better, James." I told him honestly.

"No, you're just lucky that I'm a selfish git." He said, grinning. I bit my lip, waiting for him to say if we'd join or not. "And yes, we're going to go make a nice visit to Dumbledore later this year to discuss with him about this." I smiled widely and put my arms around his neck. "But, if you get yourself killed, Lily, expect me to follow you soon after."

"Mmm, and same with me." I mumbled into his neck, realizing how much I missed his scent and his warmth. He kissed the top of my head and ran his hand through my hair.

We stood in that position, in each other's arms, for a long time.

"Okay, you know, after five minutes of this, I was still kind of teary, so I didn't say anything. And then another five minutes, I thought, 'Oh, they just made up, why not give them time?' And then after _another_ five minutes, I didn't say anything, because you two looked too perfect to be disturbed. Now, it's twenty minutes later, and I'm starting to get splinters in my arse." Sirius said angrily, appearing next to James.

"Way to ruin a perfectly good moment, you wanker." James said, hitting him.

"_Moment_? You're insane! That was _20 minutes_, Prongs, 20!" Sirius said, rolling his eyes, and lying down on the grass. James and I grinned at each other, and sat down next to him. "You know, the miniature battles you two had today…everyone's talking about it." Sirius told us with a small laugh.

"Whatever." James said with a wave of his hand. "Doesn't matter anymore." He added, putting an arm around my shoulders. I put my arms around his waist and rested my head on his shoulder.

"So when are we talking to Dumbledore about this?" Sirius asked.

"I think near the end of the year, I'd say after N.E.W.T's. That way he can't say no, because we're closer to graduating." I suggested.

"Sounds good." James agreed.

"Oh, and Marlene and Alex know about it." I said, deciding to mention it now.

"You told?" They both asked sharply.

"Well, yes and no. Yes, I told, but they already knew about it." I explained.

"How?" Sirius asked, relaxing back again.

"Probably Alex's parents. They're not supporters of Voldemort." I reminded them.

"Oh yeah…" They said together, and relaxed once more.

"Well, look at that! It's Lily Evans!" A familiar voice said from behind me. The shadow casted was abnormally large…

"HAGRID!" I said happily, jumping to my feet. He stood behind me, holding some kind of dead animal-looking thing. I would never understand Hagrid's deep fascination with animals.

"I haven' seen yeh since yer fifth year, an' clearly a lot's changed since then!" He chuckled, looking from me to James, and then down to Sirius. "I've heard plenty stories 'bout the two of yeh from Dumbledore. Hear yeh finally won 'er heart, yeah?" He winked at James. James grinned proudly, and put an arm around my shoulder.

"That I did." He agreed. I rolled my eyes.

"He hasn't changed _too_ much…still has an abnormally large ego." I said playfully.

"An' yeh're Heads, aren' yeh?" He asked, giving us an amusing smile. We both nodded. "Hopefully still not sneakin' down ter Hogsmeade?" Hagrid asked, addressing James only.

"She'd never let me." James smiled.

"No, you still went there up until this year, for parties." I reminded him.

"When yeh win the Cup this year, yeh'll have a reason." Hagrid said, smiling proudly. "Now, I need ter get goin'. Yeh should come down ter me hut fer tea sometime."

"Of course we will." I answered quickly. Hagrid wasn't exactly the best cook, but he was great to talk to. He smiled one more time, and walked away, talking to his animal-thing.

"Do you want to go back inside?" James asked. "I haven't been in the Heads' dorm for over 24 hours now."

"Of course, I miss that place." I said, linking hands with him. "Sirius, do you want to come?" We heard no reply.

"I think he's asleep. We'll come get him if he's not awake by dinner." James decided. We walked towards the castle, and already people were whispering and pointing. I rolled my eyes.

"People these days have nothing to talk about." I muttered angrily, glaring at the people talking.

"No, they don't." James agreed, but giving me an amused smile.

"What?" I asked.

"It's never bothered you before." He pointed out.

"That's because I hadn't noticed it before." I muttered, glaring at some wide-eyed fourth year.

"You, Lily Evans, did not notice something? The world is ending." James said dramatically, putting a hand over his heart. I hit his arm.

"Shut up. You're a bit too distracting, as Slughorn kindly pointed out earlier today." I reminded him. I was happy to see we were approaching our portrait, away from everyone.

"Well, today, you trying to distract yourself, really." James said.

"That's true." I agreed.

"Oh, look, you two are finally back together!" The portrait said. We stared at it.

"How'd you know?" We both asked at the same time, slightly alarmed. The _portraits_ were talking about this?

"Oh, everyone knows!" It said, swinging open. I shook my head and wordlessly stepped inside.

"But you know, I actually found that I don't mind seeing you work so far away from me." James said, continuing our conversation from before.

"Really? And why's that?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. He stepped forward and backed me against the wall.

"You looked so concentrated…and determined. Haven't seen that since our constant arguments stopped. I think it was made me first like you." He muttered, his eyes trailing down to my lips. I put my arms around his neck and kissed him. Less than 24 hours, and I already missed kissing him. He put his hands on my hips and pushed me back to the wall again. I slipped my tongue in his mouth and he let out a low moan. He moved one of his hands up my body and I shivered a little. He ran his hand through my hair. His other hand played with the hem of my shirt, and then slipped under, making contact with my bare back.

"Off…" I murmured, moving my hands down to his shirt. He quickly discarded it and quickly unbuttoned my shirt, and that was cast away, too. He started kissing my jaw, and then moved down to my neck, "James…" I moaned slightly, causing him to come closer. He pressed his lips to mine once more, and his bare chest connected with my almost-bare chest. The sensation I felt only once before filled me. His body was completely pressed against mine, and his scent was the only thing I could smell. He pulled back enough to look into my eyes.

"I love you so much." James muttered, his chest heaving, his eyes bright, and looking disheveled. I probably looked the same. I put my arms around his waist, and rested my head on his shoulder. "We better not get into any more fights like that." He told me, putting his arms around me, and kissing my hair.

"No, never." I agreed. After a few moments I said, "Oh, James? I love you, too."

"And I love hearing you say that." He said, chuckling a little bit, causing his chest to vibrate.

"HEY YOU GUYS LEFT ME—oh." Sirius said, barging in, but then stopping short when he saw us. He looked at the shirts on the ground and his eyes widened. He started to turn red. "I…oh. Uh, I'll see you two later." He muttered, and nearly ran out of the room. We started laughing immediately.

"I-I don't think I've seen him so speechless." I laughed.

"I haven't either!" James said, hanging on to the wall.

"And he turned so _red_." I added.

"And _ran_ out!" He added. I smiled, and picked up my shirt from the ground. "Do you have to?" He whined, pouting slightly.

"Oh, shut it, it's still _winter_!" I told him, rolling my eyes.

"So in the summer, you walk around like that?" He asked, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"Well…I _sleep_ like this in the summer, yes." I muttered, turning slightly red. He laughed loudly. I buttoned my shirt.

"What are you _doing_?" He asked.

"Buttoning my shirt?" I said, confused.

"But you go from the bottom to the top! Not from the top buttons to the bottom ones!" He said, looking at me like I was crazy. I laughed.

"That's exactly what my sister said when she found out I do that." I told him.

"Hey guys, Padfoot said you needed a third person for something? And he said something about my abilities being better than his?" Remus asked coming in. James and I exchanged a look and started laughing. He took a look at James, and then my somewhat unbuttoned shirt. "OH EWWW. IS THAT WHAT HE MEANT!" Remus asked, looking at us with a disgusted expression. James and I exchanged a glance.

"Well, just so you know, we never wanted you in here, nor did we ask Sirius to get you." I clarified.

"Yeah, Padfoot kind of walked in ah…_earlier_." James said, looking at the ground uncomfortably. Comprehension dawned on Remus' face and he laughed a little.

"Guess I didn't get the worst of it?" He said weakly, making the situation a lot more awkward than it already was. "I…uh…I guess I'll get going." He said, and almost ran out of here, just like Sirius. James picked up his shirt from the ground and I smirked.

"What?" He asked.

"You honestly think we're done?" I asked moving towards him again, and pinning him against the wall. He took my arms and turned us around.

"I suppose not, Evans." James said slowly, clearly enunciating every syllable.

"Shut up and kiss me, Potter." I growled.

* * *

**A/N: Yes, I finally got them back together. Happy now?**

Review please?

Love,  
SAM :)


	45. A Few Surprises

_Recap: James and Lily stopped fighting, agreed to ask Dumbledore about the Order after N.E.W.T.'s are over_

* * *

Chapter 45: A Few Surprises

I yawned loudly and trudged downstairs. Through my blurry, watery vision, I saw James at the foot of my stairs.

"Happy Birthday, James." I said groggily, stifling another monstrous yawn as I hugged him.

"Uh, Lils?" A voice that sounded awfully like James said from behind me. "I'm kind of over here."

"What?" I said, pulling back from the person I hugged instead. I rubbed my eyes and blinked a few times. Remus was smirking at me, and behind me, so was James.

"Right." I said, blushing. "Well, uh, Happy Birthday." I said awkwardly. Remus started laughing. I turned even redder. "I'm going to go take a shower." I said, and quickly went back up my stair case.

I came back down stairs after twenty minutes, and only James was in the room, sitting on the couches. He was looking blankly at his hands. Instantly, I knew what he was thinking about. I sat down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's difficult, I know. First time, ever, that they're not around for this. But after a little bit, that initial sadness goes away." I assured him. To my surprise, he chuckled.

"Your birthday…None of us remembered, except for Dumbledore." He reminded me.

"Still, though. Afterwards, I did remember, even though I was mostly concentrated on you and Sirius. It's like the after shock, when you realize that they're not here anymore. Being at Hogwarts, everything seems normal, until something like this turns up, or you think about writing to them, because you haven't for a while, and then you realize, they're not there anymore." I sighed. He pulled me on to his lap.

"Yeah, I get what you're saying. It just hasn't completely and fully hit us yet." He said. "But I'm just really glad you're here with me." He whispered so quietly, I wasn't sure if I was meant to hear it. He'd been saying things like this recently, after our little fight last month. I figured it was because he already spilled it all out, and he had the need to remind me so often.

"Me too." I said.

"Alright, come on, you've got a nice patrolling date later today, which is when you can take your alone time. This is the time to spend with us!" Sirius declared, coming in.

"We really need to change that password." I muttered, reluctantly getting off of James' lap.

"So Lily-flower, had a bit of a confusion this morning, eh?" Sirius smirked.

"Oh, be quiet." I turned red and hit him on the head. "Like you haven't done it before!"

"Actually, he has. The summer after our fifth year, my dad and I were the same height, and looked pretty much identical from the back. So one morning, he was really tired, and forgot to check who it was. He ended up slapping my dad on the back, and had an embarrassing conversation with him. Then I came down, and he nearly jumped out of his skin. He thought he was going insane." James laughed.

"I remember that day!" Peter said, laughing. Sirius frowned.

"It was a perfectly reasonable mistake!" He protested.

"Oh, we're going to eat in the kitchens today. And visit Misty again." James said, leading us towards the kitchens. We visited Misty almost every day, if we could manage. Unfortunately, we haven't visited her in three days because of our intense N.E.W.T. studying. But, our frequent visits have been healing her, and she definitely stopped drinking and crying. There were a few people who stopped us to say Happy Birthday to James, and only then I realized, the Marauders never had any friends outside of themselves. I suppose running around, doing illegal things with three other people every month built a bond that no one can penetrate.

"Happy Birthday Master James!" Misty said as soon as we entered. She and two other elves were holding a cake larger than them.

"Wow, um, thank you, Misty." James said, clearly shocked by the size of the cake.

"Oh, good, this'll spare us getting a cake for you." Sirius said, clearly relieved. I rolled my eyes. They all pulled out their gifts and set it next to the cake. I sat down next to him and held his hand.

"You're getting your present tonight when we patrol." I whispered to him.

"You shouldn't have, I didn't get anything for you!" He protested.

"Circumstances were different. I promise you, anytime you forget your own birthday, I'll be sure to not give you a gift, okay?" I laughed.

"I guess I can live with that." He grinned. We started singing a horribly-off key 'Happy Birthday,' except for Sirius, who actually had a good voice. "Turns out your ridiculous music actually taught you how to sing." James said.

"I haven't heard much of it, thankfully." I said teasingly. Sirius pouted.

"Actually, Wormtail and I have. He always plays it in our room now." Remus muttered resentfully.

"Oh, deep down, you two like it." Sirius grinned. Remus glared. Apparently, not even deep down. "Mine first!" Sirius yelled, causing all of us to jump. Sirius shoved his present forward and James opened it.

"Uh, mate, I can't use this?" James said, thoroughly confused, and slightly embarrassed. I turned bright red, and Sirius started laughing.

"Of course not, it's for Lily-flower!" Sirius said after he calmed down a bit. I turned even redder and hid my face in James's shoulder.

"How did you even find this, Sirius?" I whined. He scoffed.

"I just walked in. And using my charming good looks, I told the girl there what I wanted and she gave it to me." He said happily. I glared at him and glanced down at the lingerie bitterly.

"You're insane." I told him.

"I know." He said proudly. My face seemed to return to normal color, so I sat up again, in time to see Sirius take it away and pull out his real present. "This one's your real one." He told James. James gave him a hesitant look before carefully and slowly opening it. It was a picture of James and his parents. All three of them were smiling brightly.

"Wow." I said quietly. It was a Muggle one, the pictures didn't move.

"Remember two summers ago? I just bought a muggle camera and wanted to try it out? I took a picture of you three." He said, coughing slightly. "And I figured, since you didn't have any, you might've wanted…" Sirius continued, since James hadn't said anything. He finally looked up from the picture.

"T-Thanks." He stuttered. "I really do like it."

"You're welcome." Sirius said uncomfortably, scratching his nose. James stared at it for a little bit before moving on to the next one, from Remus. James opened it, and it revealed some chocolate, and two tickets to see a Quidditch game over the summer.

"Thanks." James grinned.

"The chocolate is from my own stash, by the way." Remus said.

"I feel honored." James laughed.

"You should." Remus said seriously. Next was Peter's, and everyone was surprised when James opened it. The gift wasn't food, it was actually a book.

"Lord of the Rings?" I gasped. "Wait, how'd you come across this?" I asked.

"My grandfather was a muggle." He shrugged.

"What's Lord of the Rings?" James asked.

"The most famous fantasy trilogy ever written!" I told him. "It's one of my favorite series."

"He's a great author." Remus added.

"I'll be sure to read it then." James said, amused. Misty pushed forward her gift.

"It was Master James' father's." She said quietly. James opened it, and it revealed a wand. "He wanted Master James to have it."

"Oh." James said quietly, picking it up and twirling it around a little bit.

"Misty can take everything back to Master's dorm." She offered.

"Thanks Misty." He replied, putting the wand down. She gathered everything in her arms and apparated with a loud _pop_! "I can't believe he actually left me his wand! It's supposed to be buried _with_ him!" He said, shaking his head. We all looked on, kind of concerned. "I mean, yeah, I was kind of fascinated with his wand when I was younger, and I actually still am, but I didn't think he'd leave it to me." Misty appeared again with a _pop_!

"Misty is back." She said. "And Master really must clean his room." She smiled.

"I'll get him on it by tomorrow." I promised her.

"And Miss needs to sleep better." She added.

"What?" James asked, looking from me to Misty." I looked down.

"Miss has been sleeping at her desk for the last five nights. Misty sees her when she goes to clean." Misty explained.

"I thought you always go to sleep at the same time I do!" He said, shocked that he missed something like this.

"Well, yes, I go up my stairs at the same time you do, but I change, and come back down to study more." I muttered quietly. He sighed.

"Please, go upstairs at exactly 11 from now on, and _don't_ go back down. I'll sleep in front of your door, if that's what it takes to stop you." He said stubbornly.

"But that's not enough time!" I whined. They all laughed.

"For you, that's more than enough time." Remus said, and the others nodded in agreement. I frowned in response.

* * *

"Ready?" I asked as James came down his stairs.

"Yeah, are you ready?" He asked looking at my homework on the table. I nodded. He looked closer at my work. "What is this!" He panicked, picking it up. "Wait, don't tell me this is the _extra_, _optional_ work McGonagall told us about?" He asked, shocked.

"It is." I said quietly, but defensively as I left our common room.

"_Why_!" He asked, unable to fathom why I would do extra work.

"Because," I started as we made our way to the first floor. "It's good practice, and I'm not as good in Transfiguration as I'd like to be." I said, fidgeting slightly.

"But, _I'm _the only one ahead of you! You were first until sixth year when I decided it was time to start working!" He pointed out.

"Exactly, which means I technically didn't deserve being first for those five years." I explained. "And especially with what you three have done, you're pretty much set for half of what these N.E.W.T.'s are on." I muttered to him in an undertone, in case anyone happened to hear. After a few seconds, a thought occurred to me. "Do you think Dumbledore knows?" I asked him.

"We think about that a lot, actually, but I honestly have no idea." He said.

"I-I don't think he knows, but it's weird, the idea of Dumbledore not know something like this big," I pointed out.

"That's exactly what makes us think he does." He said.

"But the more I think about it, the more I feel like he does."

"It doesn't matter," He chuckled. "We haven't gone to Azkaban, so we really don't care if he knows." He added.

"That's true." I laughed. We walked in silence for a long time, trying to hear anything going on, watching for people outside, and keeping an eye on the main gate.

"Can you believe this Lily? We're almost out of here." He sighed, putting an arm around my waist. I looked up at him. He wasn't saying it like he was scared; he was saying it like it was a bittersweet feeling.

"A scary yet exciting thought at the same time." I muttered. "OH! Before I forget," I said, pulling his present out of my pocket, and gave it to him. He undid the bow on top and opened the box.

"What's this?" He asked, taking the small vile out of the box.

"It's Felix Felicis." I told him. "Slughorn let me have some, but I already have some…from when he gave a vile to me a year ago." I shrugged.

"You earned it both times." He laughed. "And thanks." He said, hugging me closer to him as he pocketed it.

"Oh, what have we here? We haven't seen you two out of class in a long while." A sneering voice said. I could recognize that voice anywhere. Snape. I reached for my wand in my robes and pulled it out as James and I turned towards them.

"It's after curfew. You should be in your Common Rooms." I told them, slightly surprised by the number. It was Snape, Mucliber, Avery, Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott. James took out his wand, too, and tightened his grip around my waist.

"We can and will report you." James added.

"And who will you report us to _after _Hogwarts? Your mummy and daddy? Oh, hold on, they're gone!" Mucliber laughed, causing the others to join in as well. I was careful not to say anything, and sincerely hoped James wouldn't either.

"What, nothing to say to that?" Avery added, looking between the two of us.

"No, I think we hit home!" Mucliber said happily, reminding me of Bellatrix.

"You are sick bastards." I snarled. Mucliber bowed low.

"Why, thank you." He smirked, making me want run forward and punch him in the face. James beat me.

"_Silencio_!" He yelled, pointing at Mucliber.

"_Petrificus Totalus_!" I yelled, pointing at Avery, who had raised his wand.

"Using first year spells. How weak." Snape sneered at us.

"I don't see _you_ doing anything!" James yelled, his face red with anger. They both raised their wands at the exact same time.

"PROTEGO!" I yelled, coming between them, creating a shield. My shield pushed them apart, causing them to go flying. "Okay, I hope you were going back to your Common Room, since it _is _in this direction. So, just get these two, and leave. James, our time is over now." I said, tapping my watch with my wand, thankful that we were on the first floor. If you patrolled First floor, you only had to patrol for an hour. I slowly lowered my shield glaring at both of them. I walked over to James, grabbed his wrist, and quickly walked away from them.

"Is it smart to put our backs to them?" He asked, worriedly looking over his shoulder every few steps.

"Not really, but choice do we have? Do you honestly want to walk _backwards_?" I asked him, still slightly irritated.

"Well, actually, it sounds like fun." He grinned. I couldn't help but smile along with him.

* * *

**A/N: A note of warning: Unfortunately, I will not be updating until two weeks from now.**

Review?

Love,  
SAM :)


	46. Preparing for the Final

_Recap: James' Birthday, Lily gives him a vial of Felix Felicis and Misty gives him his father's old wand, saying his father wanted him to have it._

_James and Lily get into a minor fight with the Slytherins during their patrol_

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Chapter 46: Preparing for the Final

"Hey Lily?" James said, as he came down stairs.

"Yeah?" I asked distractedly, trying to decipher and re-write my two-year-old History of Magic notes.

"D-Do you have a moment?" He asked, sitting beside me.

"Of course." I replied easily and put my quill down. I looked up at him and right away I could tell he was confused.

"Do you remember last week, on my birthday, we had that minor fight with the Slytherins?" He asked. I nodded in confirmation. It was the first one in a long time. "Well, I was upstairs and my dad's wand was right in front of me. I got curious and did _Priori Incantatem_ and found the last spell to be casted with that wand was _Silencio_…by me. I remember I had both wands in the same pocket that day, and I'd picked the one that felt better in my hand. But right now, it's my own wand that feels better, the one that picked me at Ollivander's." He explained, looking as confused as before.

"Well,"I paused. "Wandlore's obviously extremely complicated. I can only give you an uncertain guess." He nodded in encouragement. "That day, you were overcome with emotion for him, especially since he gave you his wand. This wand might've recognized that, so it felt better in you hands, because of everything you were feeling. And because one of them said something about it to you, you anger and emotion increased, causing this wand to function as properly as your usual one, perhaps better." He was silent for a while as he tried to comprehend it.

"That makes sense, and saved a trip to Dumbledore." He said in awe. I smiled.

"It's five." I reminded him. He jumped up.

"Quidditch practice in a half an hour. Do you want to come?" He asked. Perhaps I could afford a break. "Actually, I need to go change. Tell me when I come back down." He said, and raced up his stairs. I suppose I could use a bit of fresh air. I picked up my notes, the quill and ink, and put them in a small bag. He came downstairs with his robes on and his broom in hand. He looked at the empty desk.  
"Yeah, I'm coming." I said.

"Let's go." He grinned. We were walking out of the portrait hole when he noticed the bag. "You're bringing schoolwork?" He groaned.

"Well with the curfew put on me, I don't have as much time." I narrowed my eyes at him.

"That's what you get for making me clean my room." He said smugly.

"Your room was a pigsty. It looked like Sirius gone wild." I reminded him.

"No, it was just overdue for a clean." He replied defensively. I shook my head.

"I don't even know how you slept in there, it actually smelled bad." I crinkled my nose at the memory.

"I like keeping food in there!" He explained.

"I'm sure the rats in there love that, too." I replied. He pouted, but seemed to remember something and immediately lightened up.

"Well, I'm going to keep you so occupied, love, you won't even be looking at your notes." He smirked. "I know one of your weaknesses now. He grinned happily. "Well see you out there." He said, and practically _skipped_ into the locker rooms. As I walked to the Pitch, I suddenly remember what he was talking about.

_"Lily, I'm tired." He yawned. I briefly looked up from our Defense book._

_"Then go take a break." I said, looking back down at it._

_"I'm going to take a shower." He announced. I grunted in response. I pulled out a piece of paper and started answering some questions in the book. He was quick with his shower, and by the second set of questions, I heard the door creak open, and the steam from the bathroom came rushing into the rest of the room. I saw his shadow blocking my light as he leaned over me. "Question 10A is that." He said, pointing to a spot in the textbook I turned around to face him, and found him only dressed in a pair of pants._

_"What?" I asked absentmindedly as my eyes ran over his toned muscles and his tan skin. He mistook my simple answer for not understanding. He sat down and started explaining, but I couldn't concentrate on his words. "P-put on some clothes." I said, looking at his eyes for the first time since he stepped out of the bathroom._

_"What?" He said, now his turn to be confused._

_"It's too distracting. Put. On. Some. Clothes." I said slowly. His mouth twisted into a crooked smile._

_"Distracting?" He whispered, putting a hand on my thigh and leaning forward. His wet hair fell into his eyes and my throat went dry. I tried to say something, but found that I couldn't. Instead, I jumped up, and ran to his closet. I picked up the first shirt I found and put it over his head._

_"Wear it." I growled._

_"The things you do just to study." He chuckled, finally putting on the shirt._

I sat in one of the middle rows of the Pitch, so it wouldn't be too far away, but also not too close. I would not allow him to be a distraction.

"First, we're going to practice the tactics from last practice," James started. Through the corner of my eye, I could see red and gold rise up to about the height I was at. "And _I'll_ be up there." James added. I internally groaned. No doubt he was coming to me. I couldn't but look up once I heard him sit down.

"They're doing great. You've shaped the up well." I told him, looking at each individual player. They were a lot better than they were last year. "How's John doing?" I asked, looking over at the youngest player, and the seeker.

"He's great. He's prepared for this. We can win this year!" He said looking determined.

"You better win this year, or McGonagall will kill you." I told him laughing.

"She actually talked to me about it the other day after Transfiguration. Said she'd even give the team less homework or extended due dates if it came down to it." He laughed.

"I hope you didn't accept." I said sternly.

"Don't worry, I didn't." He smiled, putting an arm around my waist. I started re-writing the notes again. "Alright, I need to go teach them the new tactics." He said, kissing me on the cheek.

"I'll watch after I'm done." I promised.

"I'll do my best not to _purposely_ distract you, then. But, it's awfully hot out today…" He grinned evilly.

"If you try anything, Potter, I'm going to kill you." I teased, trying to look stern.

"Of course you will, love." He said cheekily, before getting on his broom and taking off.

I sat with my notes and carefully finished re-writing everything. I looked up in time to see him take his shirt off and throw it next to me. I resisted picking it up and smelling it, since everyone could see. For a little bit, I tried hard not to look at James, but it proved to be difficult, so I gave up. Once he came into view, I couldn't stop looking at him, and my eyes followed him everywhere he went. Eventually, I was able to actually watch them play. As I watched them, I remembered when James taught me how to fly, this time last year. Suddenly, I thought of something. I looked towards James, and he was conveniently looking at me. I waved him over and he quickly came.

"I have an idea." I said, and quickly explained what I thought of, pointing to the various players and the directions they were supposed to go in, although, with a lot of pauses and stammers. Even though I was bubbling with excitement because of this idea, his bare chest was still distracting.

"That's a _great_ idea!" I He said happily, and pulled me into a tight hug. I felt myself blush, but he was too excited to notice. "I think we something like this to win the Cup." He said excitedly, and raced off to tell the rest of the team. They practice and practiced it, and as it was getting dark, they mastered it. It was easy to tell that they all like the idea and were just as excited as James had been.

"It was such a good idea! I don't know how you came up with that, or why I didn't think of it!" He later said to me, on our way back to the locker rooms. "I wish you played, you would've been great on the team. You would've probably made captain! On a second though, I'm glad you're not on the team." He chuckled.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't have accepted it, and I would've given it to you." I assured him.

"Then I wouldn't have accepted it, because I would've known that you deserve it." He countered.

"Which is how I feel about Transfiguration." I told him.

"You won't give that up, will you?" He grinned.

"Of course not, Potter." I mimicked. He laughed and put an arm around my shoulders.

"Oh, are we going to visit you sister over Easter break? Or are we staying here?" He asked. I didn't really want to talk to her just yet. I wasn't ready for that.

"No." I decided. "We'll visit her after school ends."

"Yeah, we'll have a huge reason to." He muttered.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"What? Oh, nothing." He said, turning red and rushing into the locker rooms.

"I've been looking for you two _everywhere_!" Sirius said, coming up to us in the Library.

"We just came back from Quidditch Practice." James replied, looking up. Sirius sat down across from us, and Remus and Peter followed, sitting on either side of him.

"You better win. Minnie will kill you if you don't." Sirius said, looking quite serious. James and I held in laughs when a tall shadow fell above him.

"There is truth in that statement, Mr. Black, however, I would prefer you called me by my proper name." McGonagall told him, staring down at him.

"Of course, Professor." He said, giving her his most charming smile. "Now, what's a pretty lady like you doing in a dingy library like this?" Sirius asked, giving her the most innocent look I've ever seen on him. Madam Pince turned around and almost yelled at him, but seeing McGonagall, she left. McGonagall chose to ignore Sirius' remark.

"I was watching your practice today, Mr. Potter, and I am indeed impressed, especially with that last tactic." She complimented.

"Thank you, Professor, however, that idea wasn't mine, it was Lily's." James said, patting my hand. She raised her eyebrows.

"Really? Well, I suppose with a brain like yours, Miss Evans, you would think of something like that." She said. "Now, I hope to have this year's Cup in my office, Mr. Potter."

"We'll do it." James said confidently. She bid us all goodbye, and quickly left, probably before Sirius could say something else.

"I'm going to miss her when we leave." Sirius said, looking fondly after her.

"She'll miss you, too." I assured him. He grinned.

"I'll be sure to visit her then. None of that 'No Student-Teacher Relationships' crap will be in our way." He said dramatically, putting a hand over the right side of his chest.

"Your heart's on the other side, you idiot." I said, rolling my eyes.

"This is only rehearsal, Lily-pad." Sirius huffed. "I don't have to get it right."

"Rehearsal." I stared.

"He's been practicing for weeks." Remus muttered, looking bitterly at him.

"We _silencio_'d him a few times." Peter added, holding his head.

"She is my one and only love! It must be _perfect_!" He snapped.

"Mate, you need to get laid, to control those hormones." James said, shaking his head.

"What makes you think I haven't already?" Sirius smirked.

"Because you've been flying solo since you moved in? And that was the summer after _fifth_ year." James pointed out.

"But, if you recall, I had a girlfriend before then." He said, keeping his smirk.

"You…you did _it_ with _Mary_?" I asked incredulously.

"Yeah, and she was pretty damn good." Sirius said proudly. James and I exchanged a glance, and I knew we were thinking the same thing. He had sex, even before either of us had gotten our first kiss.

"W-why don't either of you looked surprised?" I asked, once recovering. Peter shrugged.

"We got bored and played Truth or Dare." Remus said.

"And you know the rules. What happens in there stays in there." Peter added.

"You did _that_ with _Mary McDonald_." James said, still not comprehending. "Imagine if that thing didn't happen, and she didn't leave to Italy. She probably would've been all clingy and whatever, and wouldn't have accepted your decision to start flying solo."

"Yeah, it was good timing, wasn't it? I had it all planned out…well, the getting laid part, and then dumping her. It was just good that she agreed." Sirius said, looking proud of himself.

"Oh, well. Uh, that's nice." I coughed uncomfortably.

"It's okay, I'm sure Jamsie will come around soon enough for the same." He said to me. I kicked him under the table. "OW!" He screamed out, and I knew what was coming, since McGonagall's presence wasn't here to protect him anymore.

"LEAVE!" Madam Pince said, coming up behind Sirius.

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**A/N: A few things to say.**

**1) I will not, once again, be updating for another two week. I apologize for that, and the brevity of this chapter! It was a filler, and I had terrible writer's block once again. However, if all goes well, the next ones should be good!**

**2) It's quickly coming to the end of the year in this story, and that means it's also coming to the end of the story. I'm ending it at Chapter 50.**

**3) The one year anniversary of this story was yesterday! The same day the last movie came out in the UK! If anyone saw it, I'd love to hear about it. - don't give away details! -**

**4) Review please!**

**Love,**  
**SAM :)**


	47. Happy Birthday, Sirius!

_Recap: They prepare for the Quidditch Final_

* * *

Chapter 47: Happy Birthday, Sirius!

I put the banner up, and stepped back, to admire my work. The banner was the last of the decorations.

"Wow, Lily, it looks great." Marlene said, looking around the Gryffindor Common Room. "He's going to love it."

"I hope so." I laughed nervously.

"Well done, Lily." James said, coming down the boys' staircase. "Padfoot's going to love it." He said.

"Marlene just said the same thing." I grinned.

"She's right." He smiled at me.

"Where's Sirius now?" I asked, feeling more satisfied with my decorations.

"Bathroom. Washing his hair today. He'll be another half hour." Remus answered, coming down the stairs with Peter behind him.

"Camera ready?" I asked Peter. He nodded. Unless we won the Quidditch Final, this was probably going to be our last party of the year. I was determined to remember it.

"Perfect. We need to go get ready." Marlene said.

"What?" I asked as she took my arm.

"Lily, you're in your school robes." She said, giving me a disapproving look. She dragged me up the stairs.

"Don't let her take me!" I begged the boys. The traitors only gave me amused looks. She sat me down on her bed.

"Lily Evans, you are insane." Marlene sighed as she opened her closet. "After N.E.W.T.s ended, over half the seventh years stopped wearing their school robes, leaving you, a few Hufflepuffs, and the Ravenclaws. You're all insane." She said again, shaking her head. "I understand it's the end of school, and you don't want to admit it's over, but Merlin Lily, it's the _weekend_!" She put her hands on her hips and glared at me.

"They're comfortable?" I said with a feeble smile. She couldn't keep a straight face and her mouth split into a grin. She shook her head.

"You're impossible." She laughed as she turned back to her closet. "Is Sirius picking the music?" She asked, apprehension evident in her voice.

"Unfortunately." I grimaced. "But Remus promised to try to make him keep it somewhat normal." I assure her. Sirius was known for his wild, Muggle music taste. Sirius insisted that he was going to plan his own party. He refused to let anyone help, except me, with the decorations. "Misty?" I called out. The little elf appeared in front of me with a loud _pop!_

"Miss Lily! And Miss Marlene!" She squealed in delight. We introduced her to Marlene after we talked to her and Alex about the Order. We decided to ask Dumbledore the day before the last day.

"Misty, I was wondering if you'd join us all for Sirius' birthday party?" I asked her.

"Misty doesn't like parties." She smiled sadly.

"I completely understand." I laughed.

"Misty, maybe you can help me?" Marlene asked. Misty looked towards her eagerly. "Can you help me figure out what Lily should wear?" Marlene asked. Misty's face lit up like the lights in London at night. She was an ardent house elf, always willing to help us.

"Misty knows!" She squealed. She disapparated so quickly I thought she would splinch herself.

"I'm going to go put on my outfit and do my makeup." Marlene said. "You better put on whatever Misty gets you! I have a feeling that she'll bring you something that looks great!" She went into the bathroom. Misty apparated with a loud _pop!_She held out the outfit.

"Thanks a lot, Misty, I'm definitely wearing this." I smiled at her, taking the black top and the jeans. She smiled brightly at me and disapparated. I quickly changed and just then, Marlene came out of the bathroom.

"Perfect." She smiled. "Ready?" I nodded. We linked arms and went down the stairs, to where the party already started. I pushed past several people, and finally found Sirius in the middle of the dance floor.

"Lily-flower!" He yelled, allowing himself to be heard over the loud music.

"Happy Birthday!" I said again, since I'd already wished him that morning. Before I could hug him, He enveloped me in one of his infamous bear-hugs.

"The decorations look great, by the way." He said as he released me.

"Thanks, I'm glad the music isn't completely insane." I told him. He gave me a mischievous grin and I groaned.

"Don't worry, you'll like it." He said. I doubted that.

"Lily!" I heard from behind me. I turned around. It was James. "You look great." He smiled.

"You don't look back yourself." I laughed and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Are you two going to dance or just stand there?" Sirius asked, starting to do some kind of wild flailing arms movement. I stared at him.

"I'm never going get used to _that_." I told James.

"I haven't either, don't worry." He grimaced, looking at Sirius. "I'm starting to feel embarrassed because I'm just right next to him, do you want to go to the other side, the safer side?" He asked.

"Gladly." I murmured, and James laughed. I took James' hand and lead him towards the edge of the dance floor. We passed Marlene and Alex dancing and I smiled at them. As people cleared out a bit more, I saw the food and drinks table.

"Ah, how about we go that way?" James asked, tugging my hand in the opposite direction. I turned my head around to face him.

"Why?" I questioned, narrowing my eyes.

"The light's brighter over there, easier to see your pretty face." He replied easily, giving me a crooked grin. I rolled my eyes, but the corners of my mouth turned up into a small smile.

"It's getting easier for you to make up excuses with me. Come on." I laughed, pulling him forward. I reached the table, and James' eyes were suspiciously and nervously darting around the entire room. Suddenly, Remus and Peter appeared by our side.

"Hi, Lily." Peter said, smiling at me, a little too innocently. I looked at Peter for a little bit.

"You're hiding something." I said simply, looking from James to Peter to Remus and back to James. I took a glass and filled it up with the drink. I held it up to my lips and James took it from my hands.

"Uh, why don't we go dance or something?" He asked, shoving the glass in Peter's hand. I took the glass from Peter's hands, and quickly took a sip of the drink. I felt the liquid burn my throat.

"You spiked the drink." I glared at the both of them.

"Actually, it wasn't me." James tried. Remus rolled his eyes.

"If this is a feeble attempt to save yourself, Prongs, I guess I can help you here. No, this was not his idea. It was Padfoot's, and on Padfoot's birthday, you don't argue with Padfoot." Remus explained.

"Prongs tried, if that helps at all." Peter supplied. I looked at all of them, and then back to where Sirius was. I was ambivalent about whether or not I should let them keep it. I sighed.

"If McGonagall finds out," I started, and they all looked relieved. "I will not be around to save your skins. I'll deny even knowing about this. In fact, I might even deny being here."

"But you won't get rid of it?" Remus clarified, glancing back at Sirius.

"No." I sighed, wondering what had gotten into me. They smiled gratefully. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to sit over there," I pointed to the couches in front of my beloved fireplace, "And watch over everyone." Even after all these years, I still preferred to remain aloof during these parties.

"No, why don't you come dance?" James asked hopefully.

"Or, I can stay here, if you'd like, and make sure only those of age are drinking this." I offered. James' face fell. Sometimes, it was nice to have power over him like this.

"I'd prefer you stay over there, in that case." Remus said quickly. They were really desperate to make sure this went how Sirius wanted it. I walked over to the fireplace, wondering what I could possibly do. I wanted to go somewhere, somewhere I hadn't been in the castle. Then, I remembered the balcony. There was a balcony in the middle of the two staircases. I never went out there, since I'd made this couch my favorite place since my first day here. I got up and went to the balcony. It was small, meant for two people. I was glad the party was going on inside, everyone was sure to stay there and not come here. I looked to the night sky and admired the stars.

I looked around the castle and found that most of the lights were on. It probably looked beautiful from ground level. More than what Hogwarts had to offer as a school, I'd miss the building itself. It had an antediluvian charm to it, a traditional, majestic look that always made me feel like I'd fallen into one of my childhood dreams. The portraits and ghosts were rather funny, if you spent enough time with them. Those staircases, although annoying when you needed to get somewhere quickly, were truly wonderful magic. It's like they have a mind of their own. Every square inch of the place was fascinating, and even after so many years, it's hard to believe how amazing it is. I was really lucky to be able to come here and learn, and live in a place so wonderful. I just wished the real world was just as fascinating, majestic, and innocent. But, it wasn't, and I had a feeling I was going to miss the sense of protection Hogwarts gave me. To my knowledge, no one had been killed in Hogwarts. It was the safest place, since Dumbledore himself put up the protective enchantments. I'd grown up so much here, facing adversity for most of this past year. It was amazing, how even this time last year, I was more carefree, but now, all I can think about is how I don't want to leave, how I don't want to grow up.

"What are you doing out here?" James asked from behind me. I turned around. It was a picture perfect moment, and I wished Peter could take one right now. James' hands were in his pockets, his mouth was set in a straight line, but his eyes were honest and curious, but still rather bright. The wind was blowing the hair that fell on to his face.

"I've never been here." I shrugged, turning around to face the sky again. I heard his footsteps come forward and join me.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" He asked, looking up. I just stared into the sky, wondering what, or who, I'd become once I left here. Here at Hogwarts, I worked hard to create a name for myself. And after seven years, I was more than satisfied with the name I'd created for myself. Lily Evans, top of almost every class, Prefect, and Head Girl. Even the unofficial names I'd made for myself were once I was pleased with: Slughorn's favorite student, Enemy of the Slytherins, only friend of the Marauders, James Potter's girlfriend. Personally, I liked the last one best. "You're going to miss this place, aren't you?" He asked, in a whisper. I nodded as a tear slid down my cheek. He took my hand, and laced his fingers through mine.

"Where were you guys?" Sirius asked as we started cleaning up the Common Room.

"Out on the balcony." I replied, picking up a few cups.

"That's not a very good place to have sex, why didn't you just go to your Common Room?" Sirius chuckled. I took out my wand, and before he could react, I silenced him.

"No, not even on your birthday." I told him as he opened his mouth to protest. We picked up the remaining trash. Once we finished, the Common Room completely emptied except for me and the Marauders.

"Finally." Misty said appearing next to me. I jumped and let out a quiet shriek. "Sorry! Misty never meant to scare Miss Lily." Misty apologized.

"That's alright." I smiled. Sirius pushed past me and hugged Misty. He tried telling her he couldn't talk, but the flailing arm movements just confused her. I undid the silencing spell and Sirius breathed a loud sigh of relief. Misty laughed.

"Why did Miss Lily silence Mr. Sirius?" Misty asked, her amused eyes dancing between the two of us.

"Because she's mean." Sirius answered.

"No, because he suggested something highly inappropriate." I corrected.

"You know you dream about it every night." He winked.

"No, that's most likely him." I replied, pointing to James.

"I...what! I-I don't!" He stuttered.

"Well maybe not every night." Sirius grinned. James did some sort of a half nod before remembering I was in the room.

"Uh, I mean, why don't we all go sit over there?" He pointed to the seats in front of the fire, and didn't wait for our responses before heading there. Snickering, Sirius followed and Remus, Peter, and I followed him. Sirius and James sat on the couch, and I sat at James' feet. Remus and Peter sat on the other two chairs. Misty stood in the middle of the carpet.

"Misty has something for Mr. Sirius." She said. She snapped her fingers and a small box and a letter appeared. "It's from Mr. Potter." She added quietly. I felt James stiffen and I patted his knee. Sirius slowly stepped forward and took the box and letter from Misty. He eagerly opened the letter first. It seemed fairly short, since it didn't take him long to read it. He slowly opened the box and took out a watch.

"It's his watch. He gave me his _own watch_!" Sirius said in disbelief.

"You always joked about that watch." James said softy, smiling sadly.

"He seemed to always be talking to it." Sirius said, smiling, too. We heard a loud nose blow. It was Misty, blowing her nose into the cloth she wore.

"Sorry." She whimpered, and disapparated. I felt like we needed to call her back. James put a hand on my shoulder.

"She'll be alright." He said, reading my mind.

"I guess I won't be needing this anymore." Sirius muttered, pointing to his current one. "Stupid thing stopped telling the time halfway through this year." He told us.

"Whose was it?" Peter asked.

"Some relative of my Uncle Alphard." He said, taking the watch off and placing it in the box. He put the new one on. "This one actually tells time." He smiled sadly. James patted his back as Sirius' eyes started to water slightly, looking at the watch. His strained expression disappeared as quickly as it came, and I wondered for a moment if I'd imagine it. The clock over us struck 1.

"Lily, should we get going?" James asked. I nodded and we all stood up. I hugged Sirius simply because he looked like the needed one, and the others probably had some boy-code against hugging.

"I'm proud of you. You've done a great job staying strong." I whispered to him.

"You too." He said back, and by the look in his eyes, I could tell he wasn't just saying it.

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**A/N: This chapter is longer than the last 5, so hope you all like it! And, I hope none of you skipped past the large paragraphs :P**

**Also, I'm pretty sure half of you are ready to kill me by now, but I can't update until the week after next week, again. This time, I have a better reason than the last few: I'm going on vacation! For the first time in about 3 years, I'm going on a real vacation!**

And if you've seen Harry Potter and you want to talk about it, PM me!  
It was amazing, wasn't it?  
If you haven't seen it, I highly suggest you get up off your ass and go watch it.  


**Three more chapters to go!**

**Love,**  
**SAM :)**


	48. The Quidditch Final

_Recap: Sirius' birthday, he gets Mr. Potter's watch_

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Chapter 48: The Quidditch Final

James' POV

I sat in the stands, remembering my first time here. I saw the Pitch and knew it was everything my dad said it was. It absolutely took my breath away. I could already see myself flying in it, practicing, being on the team. At first it was the sheer joy of flying that I first fell in love with, but as I started playing Quidditch, I quickly fell in love with that, too. It was a whole new world and took flying to a completely new level. The thrill and exhilaration became my favorite feelings. Quidditch became one of things I loved most. While the rest of the boys in my year were out on dates and snogging their girlfriends, I fell in love with flying and Quidditch even more. Of course all of this was only accomplished because of Lily; she was the only girl I paid attention to, the only one I wanted to go out with, and she didn't exactly like me at the time. I used to mope here a lot because of her and how things were going badly with her.

Sometimes, I'd even come here when I lost hope in becoming an Animagi. Just flying around helped me bounce back. The Pitch became like a second home to me. Even being in its presence somewhat calmed me. Simply flying around let me think, or sometimes, when I didn't want to think at all, I could concentrate solely on flying and completely lose myself in it. It was therapeutic. Of course it could never completely heal me, only time could do that, but it cleared my mind, calmed me, and I felt like I'd gone through a mental bath after I flied.

"You know," Lily said, speaking for the first time since we sat here, "When I hated you, back in our earlier years, I also envied you, and still do, really. While I sat in the Library doing homework, and learning, and reading, you were always flying. You think I didn't notice that you never went on a single date in our third, fourth, or fifth years? I wasn't stupid enough to believe it was because of me, as you always claimed. I knew you loved flying and playing Quidditch and I secretly envied you for it. There were times when I wished I had an _actual_ hobby then. I mean, sure I loved reading and learning more than the average nerd should, but I wished it was more carefree and innocent than reading. It was too mature for me at that age.

"Of course now, I'm completely satisfied with it, but sometimes I wonder, what would I be like, had I decided to maybe try Quidditch? Or even anything else? Would I have had more friends? Another thing I've always envied you for was that bond you had with the other three. You four seemed so close to each other, like you could trust each other with anything. After I found out about Remus, I realized exactly why that was, and I was happy he found people like you three, because if there's anyone who deserves it, it's him. I'd lost all my close friends, one by one, people who I thought I could trust walked out on me." She fell silent, and I pulled her close to me.

"I didn't know you felt like that." I said quietly. I didn't know she actually envied me, even the slightest.

"You're going to miss this place, aren't you?" She asked, repeating the same question to me that I had asked her only last night. I replied the same way: with only a nod. I'd go crazy, not being able to fly. But I guess I'd be occupied enough with the Order. "It's almost time for the game." She said. We stood up. "Enjoy yourself. Play well. Good luck." She hugged me, but I barely registered it as I looked out to the Pitch and realized it was my last game. Ever. It's my last time here. I'm never going to play here again. I won't ever feel the thrill of a game and competition again. I felt Lily pull away. "James? Hold it together!" She said with a sense of urgency in her voice. My heart started to speed up. My breathing quickened. Lily started going out of focus. I felt like I was falling backwards. I felt Lily's hand take mine. Suddenly, she came back into focus. My quick breaths were now controllable. "Are you alright?" She asked worriedly. "I think you almost fainted." I had to try not to look at the Pitch.

"Yeah." I said, trying to find solace in her eyes and her voice instead. I put my hands on both sides of her face and stroked her cheek.

"Do you need to be take to-" She started.

"No, no. She might not let me play. The match is going to start soon. I need to go to the team." I insisted, letting go of her. She looked so concerned. I smiled at her, but I knew it came out shaky. "I'll be fine." I said, not really believing myself. It seemed go enough for her, because she gave me an encouraging smile. "Thank you." I said, giving her a one-armed hug. It was half-hearted, but I wouldn't want to leave if I had her in my arms. I jogged back to the Locker Rooms to get my heart pumping and changed as fast as I could. Everyone was sitting there already, quiet and nervous. I stood in front of them, in my usual place.

"We were worried you weren't going to come or something." Gibson said, looking calmer than anyone else. She was like a robot, that one.

"I wouldn't miss this for anything." I said simply. I paused for a moment. "We've been working at this for two years. This is the best team Hogwarts has seen in years. We know each other so well, we're practically family-" I was interrupted by an uncomfortable cough from Gibson. She started going out with McLaggen, the Keeper, recently. "Well, uh, we know each other really well." I fixed quickly. "And it's been a pleasure working with all of you. I'm proud to call myself captain of this team and I whole-heartedly believe we can win this." I finished as everyone nervously smiled at me. I was momentarily reminded of the Captain before me. He'd been much less sentimental, but the point got across. We could do this. I sat down next to John, no doubt the most nervous. "Nervous?" I asked him.

"Yeah." He said, taking slow, long, deep breaths.

"It's okay," I assured him. "I am too."

Far too soon, it was time for the match to start. My last one. I took a breath as we all stood in formation. I was standing next to John.

"Hey?" He looked up at me, even more nervous than before. "Good luck kid." I said.

"You too." He replied. I felt another wave of nostalgia. When my old captain said that to me before his last match, I'd replied the same way.

"And the Gryffindor team!" I heard Remus call out. The doors in front of us swung open. I could see part of the crowd, and it was purely red and gold, which made me feel a little better. "The captain, James Potter!" I flew out to greet the loud cheers, and suddenly, I felt better, not nervous at all. As the rest of my team was called out, I slowly flew by the Gryffindor side, located Lily, and winked, something I did every match. I finished my introductory lap around the Pitch and met up with my team in the middle. We were facing the same Slytherin team from last year.

I faced Black in the middle. He looked a lot like Padfoot. We shook hands, and I was careful to enough to put extra force into it. By the look of contempt he gave me, I could tell it hurt. I smirked back at him. He flew back so that Flint, his best chaser, could come forward for the Quaffle throw. The Quaffle was thrown up, and I almost jumped off my broom completely to get to it. I pushed the Quaffle towards Gibson. I turned around in time to see a bludger come in my direction. I ducked and saw Hoot hit the bludger towards one of the other Chasers. I rode away from the area, and dodged a bludger coming at me from the side.

"POTTER! DUCK!" I heard Levy scream. I shot downwards as fast as I could and looked up to see Hoot hit the bludger towards Flint. It connected with Flint's hand, and he dropped the Quaffle. I flew as fast as I could to get it, dodging yet another Bludger in the process. I hated how there were two of them. None of my chasers were in front of me yet so I took a quick glance back. Another bludger was heading my way, and so was the other Slytherin chaser, Higgs. He flew up next to me, and I moved towards the left. Higgs followed, but he must not have seen the Bludger, because it connected with his arm. I heard his grunt of pain, and took this opportunity to fly towards the goals. I flew to the center of the scoring area, a few feet away from Zabini, the Keeper. I faked right, dodged a bludger, faked left, faked center, dodged another bludger, faked left again, and threw it in the right. I was momentarily distracted by this, and a bludger to my left arm told me I had to concentrate. The score was only 10-0. The match had just begun.

I flew out of the scoring area, and another bludger came my way. I zigzagged downwards, and shot up, taking Bletchy, who had the Quaffle, by surprise. I reached out to take the Quaffle from him, but a bludger skimmed over the top of my right arm, and I pulled back. Bletchy rode past me as I was trying to dodge another bludger. Where were Hoot and Levy? I looked around, and found Hoot flying towards the one that just missed me, and Levy was flying towards the one that just hit me. Hoot hit his at Black and Levy hit his at Bletchy, who still had the Quaffle, and was now almost at McLaggen. Both bludgers were intercepted before they even got close to their targets, and my stomach dropped when I saw both heading towards me. Bletchy scored a goal. I groaned as I flew up high and called a timeout. I huddled with the team, and everyone was breathless.

"Those bastards are targeting you!" Gibson growled.

"Excellent observation!" Murray, our fellow chaser said sarcastically. This was the most bitter I've seen him, and it surprised me.

"Don't talk to her like that!" McLaggen said, rounding on Murray.

"Never mind that! What are you two doing? You might as well be sitting out, you're not doing anything!" Gibson said, glaring at Hoot and Levy.

"ALRIGHT!" I yelled, successfully getting their attention. I took a pause to let them all think about what they said. Immediately, Murray and McLaggen looked sorry. Gibson was always harder to crack. "This is not the time for fighting amongst each other." I said, glaring at my other two chasers and McLaggen. "We need to stick together. Apologize. All three of you." I demanded. Murray, going back to being the usual person he was, apologized to Gibson, and McLaggen apologized to him, and finally Gibson sucked up her pride and apologized to Hoot and Levy. "Okay, new plan." I told them all. "I'm going to be the distraction. Don't pass to me unless I'm in the scoring area. Hoot, Levy, you've read the Beater's Bible?" I knew they read it; I made them read it five times when they got on the team. They nodded. "Then you know what to do, 'Take out the Seeker.'" I told them, quoting my favorite line, even though I was previously a seeker myself. They grinned at each other.

"Wait, isn't that what they want, though, you not playing?" Gibson asked, before I called back into the game.

"Yeah, but they don't now that you and Murray are perfectly capable of handling those three." I explained. "Good job so far, all of you."

We flew apart and the game began again. I flew towards the Slytherin chasers in hope that I could use them as shields if any bludger came my way. I flew behind Bletchy. Unfailingly, a bludger came my way, from behind, and at the last possible second, I flew up, and it connected with Bletchy's back. Idiots, how did they not see that coming? Hoot flew under Bletchy and shot the bludger towards Black. I looked towards Black while keeping an eye around me. It hit him! It seemed our new tactic was working quite well.

By the end of an hour, the score was 100-70, us. Black was probably bruised pretty badly and I'd only been hit a few times, and I even managed to score another goal. And the Slytherins were playing surprisingly fairly. We'd only gotten three foul shots so far, but we'd given them one. However, it also seemed that Gibson and Murray were getting tired; their moves were clumsy and sluggish and they weren't able to score anymore goals by themselves. I just hoped that Black would give up his strategy soon enough, so that I could get back in the game and we could finally finish it off with the correct amount of points. After McLaggen saved another goal, Black called a timeout. We all huddled together again.

"I think they're going to give up that stupid strategy now." I told them gratefully. "Pass to me again. We're going to use our latest tactics." I told them all excitedly. John's eyes widened. "You'll be okay." I assured him. "Whenever you're ready. You know the signals." I said.

"We bruised Black pretty badly." Hoot said encouragingly, patting him on the back. John seemed frozen to his spot.

"Great job, all of you. We need to wait for the right margin of points before we end this, and I think with our formations, we should be able to get that." I told them all. "We should be able to end this quickly." I told them all, unsure if I actually wanted this match to end. It was, after all, the last one I'd ever play. We flew apart at the sound of the whistle. I took possession of the Quaffle and John gave me the signal. I was glad they stopped attacking me with bludgers. I didn't have to be paranoid any more. It was getting annoying.

We went into our triangular formation around Flint, their best chaser. I flew above him, and below Flint, were Gibson and Murray, the three of us forming a triangle. A quick glance above and behind me told me that Hoot and Levy had things under control there. We flew in our formation, a spin on the Hawkshead Attacking Formation, rotating our spots and passed the Quaffle underneath a confused Flint. It was working! Hoot and Levy were successfully keeping out the other Chasers, too! As we got closer to the goal, I heard Moony shout that a seeker had spotted the Snitch. That was my cue. I took advantage of Zabini being distracted and made a goal. A groan through the crowd signaled that they found out John had been faking. I made a quick thumbs-up at John and he smiled back at me.

A few fouls and goals later, we were ten points away from our margin. Our latest tactic, the one Lily made, was the one we were planning to use at the very end, while John was on the chase for the Snitch. That way, the Slytherins couldn't make another goal and try to win the match back. I made a signal towards John, which told him it was time to find the Snitch. After a few more minutes, he made the signal to me. I felt butterflies in my stomach. This is it. I took possession of the Quaffle and quickly flew in a small circle twice. It confused the opponents, but my Chasers knew what it was for. Gibson and Murray were next to me in seconds, and Hoot and Levy were flying in circles around us, hitting any bludgers coming our way. Only one came our way, every so often, so I was really hoping John could hold his own. I told Levy to go protect John. He flew off, leaving only Hoot circling around us. I heard Moony yell about the Snitch again.

"This is it!" I told Gibson and Murray, and passed the Quaffle to Gibson. We all flew forward, keeping our formation that Flint, Bletchy, and Higgs couldn't break. I flew below everyone. Gibson entered the scoring area and flew above Zabini with the Quaffle. She inched towards the left hoop and he took the bait and turned in her direction. Quickly, she threw the Qauffle to Murray and left the scoring area. Just as quickly, Murray passed it towards me. I flew straight up, almost knocking into Zabini, but at the last second, he moved away, and I threw the Quaffle in. I turned my broom around to see if John had the Snitch yet. He was falling off his broom, trying to get the Snitch. We were too early! What if a bludger went and hit him? But he leaned a little forward and caught the Snitch! I breathed a huge sigh of relief and hugged my fellow Chasers.

"WE DID IT!" Gibson yelled. We flew down to the ground and formed a huddle, congratulating each other. I put John on my shoulders, and he was still holding the Snitch like he couldn't believe it. I smiled up at him, and then put him down when I saw Lily running my way, with Padfoot and Wormtail not far behind.

"You did it!" She laughed, and hugged me. "Great job!" She said again, kissing my red cheeks. I smiled at her and tried to move towards Padfoot and Wormtail, but found myself unable to move my bottom half at all. I looked around and saw a bludger coming my way. I pushed Lily towards Padfoot and Wormtail, and she looked at me confused. Her eyes widened, and I looked towards the bludger again, but it suddenly fell to the ground. I looked back at Lily and her wand was out. Everyone in the vicinity was staring at me, Lily, and the bludger on the ground.

"Thanks." I said to Lily. She looked at me, stunned.

"Why didn't you just move away?" She asked.

"I can't." I explained, gesturing my legs. "I can't move my bottom half at all."

"Idiots!" Padfoot growled not-so-quietly. "Happens every time!" He muttered angrily.

"Yeah, it does, now how do I get unstuck?" I asked, trying to move my legs myself, twisting my torso in the oddest directions.

"Allow me, Mr. Potter." A gap appeared in the crowd, and Dumbledore came, towering above everyone. With a flick of his wand, I found myself able to move again. He took the Cup from his robes and held it out to me. I grinned and called the rest of the team and McGonagall over.

"Thank you." I said, unable to believe it. I grasped the cold metal and held it up with the rest of my team, probably all smiling like idiots. I brought it down and gave it to McGonagall. She had tears in her eyes and looked happier than I've ever seen her.

"Well done, Potter." She said, looking at the Cup proudly.

"Thanks Professor." I grinned back. I felt Lily's arm around my waist and I put an arm around her shoulder. I watched McGonagall look at the Cup with sheer happiness. Finally. Two years of hard work paid off. Two years of working with the same team through rain, snow, sleet, sun, and we were finally rewarded. It was a great way to end my last Quidditch Match, I had to admit. And scoring the last goal, I knew, was something I'd remember forever.

"You did well. Party in the Common Room tonight?" Padfoot asked.

"Of course." I grinned. The crowd starting clearing up and I let go of Lily to lead my team to the locker rooms again. It was quiet and that was probably because they were all so shocked, just as I was. We entered the lockers rooms and started taking off the various protective gear.

"We did it." McLaggen said quietly. "We actually did it."

"Yeah, we did." I said, smiling at all of them. I stood up to give my last speech to them as Captain. "You've all done great. I'm so proud of each and every one of you. Not just for your performance today, but for your dedication to this team and your performance since Day 1. I couldn't ask for a better team. We did great these past two years, and I wish I had more time with you. Good luck to the next Captain." I said. I didn't know who it'd be, but I had a strong feeling it'd be Gibson or McLaggen. I liked Gibson better, though; she was tough and knew what she was doing. And next year, when Gibson left, it would definitely be John, that I was sure about.

"Do you know who the next Captain will be?" Hoot asked fearfully. He should be scared, if it was Gibson. The slight glance he gave her confirmed my thoughts.

"No, but I have my guesses." I grinned evilly. "And I'm not going to tell you those either." They groaned. "But whoever it is, be sure to tell me." I told them all.

"Alright, but we want invitations to your wedding." Gibson said, smirking. I turned red.

"W-what?" I stuttered, looking to make sure Lily wasn't anywhere near here.

"Please, we know you're going to propose to her at the end of the year." McLaggen said.

"Alright. All of you can leave now." I said quickly, trying to change the subject. They snickered. Murray, Hoot, Levy, and John did as they were told and waved bye before leaving. McLaggen and Gibson stayed behind.

"Nice job." Lily said, entering the Locker Rooms. I was glad the conversation ended when it did.

"Thanks." Gibson and McLaggen said in unison. I was momentarily worried she'd heard some of it.

"Glad to see you did implement my idea." She told me.

"It was good." I told her.

"I haven't seen McGonagall that happy, ever." She said, leaning against the wall.

"That's because you don't know what goes on between us after school hours." Padfoot smirked, coming in and leaning on the wall like Lily. I laughed.

"That's gross.' Gibson groaned.

"Such bad images." McLaggen shuddered.

"Sirius, go away." Lily teased.

"Why, so you and James can have some _alone_ time?" He asked, winking at me. I walked to Lily and put my arms around her.

"So what if it is?" I asked.

"Then you'll have an audience. It seems McLaggen like those images. Why, not giving him any action yet, Gibson?" Padfoot grinned at them and wagged his eyebrows. Both turned bright red.

"That's disgusting!" Gibson said, getting up to leave. On her way out, she punched Padfoot on the arm.

"Ow!" He groaned, rubbing the spot where she hit him. "Feisty woman!" Padfoot called after her.

"That's how I like 'em." McLaggen said. Padfoot high-fived him.

"Same with Prongs." He said, winking at us.

"Shut up." Lily said sharply, and glared at him. He stepped back in fear. She rolled her eyes in response. "Do you two want to go down to Hagrid's before the party?"

"Sure." I said. I missed Hagrid. "Let me go change. I released her and took out another shirt and pair of pants from my bag.

"No, I should get that party ready." Padfoot said after some thought. "Bye! Don't be late!" He called over his shoulder. Lily turned back to me, but I wasn't wearing a shirt. I smirked as her eyes ran over my upper body.

"W-we should go to H-Hagrid's." She said, but it came out as more of a question. She wasn't even looking at my eyes.

"I don't think you quite want that right now." I whispered, walking towards her. She was already against the wall, and I pushed her into it even more. "Do you?" I said in her ear. I smirked when I heard her breath catch in her throat.

"James…" She groaned, half-whispering. She put a warm hand on my chest and looked up at me. I was about to bend down and kiss her when she started drawing circles on my chest. She lowered her gaze to my chest and started to slowly run her hand down my upper body.

"Lily," I groaned, closing my eyes, and I almost whimpered. I reopened my eyes when she stopped. She was smirking at me.

"Put your shirt back on." She told me quietly. Instead, I put my hands on both sides of her face and kissed her. I pulled away quickly and went to go put on my shirt. "Good boy." She grinned once I did, and ruffled my hair.

"Lily-flower, I'm the dog, remember?" Padfoot said from the door way. We both froze. "Oh, yes, I did see quite a lot." He added casually. Lily turned red and he just laughed.

"W-We should get going." Lily said to me, glaring at Padfoot as we left the Locker Rooms. "That's the second time, Sirius!" She called over her shoulder.

"And it won't be the last!" He called back to us. "Don't worry, I'll never ask to join, she's all yours, mate!" He said. Lily's face scrunched up in disgust.

"He's gross." She huffed.

"I know. You'll get used to it." I smiled.

"I probably won't." She grimaced. She glanced down at our destination. "I haven't talked to him in ages." She said, taking my hand.

"I haven't either." I said regretfully.

"When we were still in our earlier years, I used to talk to him a lot. He's a great friend." She said. "I didn't know you talked to him."

"We did, a lot, actually." I confessed.

"But…after all the time I sat there complaining about you…he never mentioned…" She trailed off.

"You complained about me?" I asked, surprised.

"Oh, all the time. He used to be the only one who would tolerate it. Snape wouldn't let me talk about you, and Mary would always have this little evil smile whenever I talked about you. Hagrid usually remained passive." She shrugged.

"Funny, I used to ask about you a lot, because I knew you talked to him a lot. Of course Moony and Wormtail would glare, but he didn't seem to mind my questions." I laughed, remembering that one time when Wormtail actually _silencio_'d me for talking about Lily too much. "Padfoot always had a bit of a thing for Snuffy. I suppose it's the dog bond." I said, and she laughed lightly.

We walked in a bit of silence, and I remembered how once we began our fifth year, and we really started working on becoming Animagi and the Marauder's Map, our visits to Hagrid drastically lessened. We walked down the path to the door of his hut, and I realized how much I actually missed him. Lily knocked on the door, and in no time, Hagrid swung it open.

"Lily an' James! Nice ter see yeh!" He said, ushering us inside. I smiled and walked inside, the smell of various, unidentifiable things hitting me all at once. "I'll make some tea." He offered. I smiled, glad that he didn't offer anything else. Hagrid was a horrible cook.

"So how have you been?" Lily asked, looking around a little bit, and petting Snuffy. "Crazy things going on out there." She shook her head.

"I've bin great, glad ter have Dumbledore's protection, really." Hagrid confessed.

"Staying out of trouble I hope?" I asked. It was dangerous for Hagrid because it was rumored that Voldemort might start recruiting half-breeds like Hagrid, and the Ministry might not let him work here anymore because of that. They could think that he's working for him.

"I don' really have ter worry 'bout that. Dumbldore's bin great with handlin' them." Hagird said with a smile.

"Handling who?" Lily asked, tilting her head.

"Ministry's after half-breeds like me. They reckon we're all workin' for Voldemort 'cause he gives us better lives and opportunities." Hagrid said.

"Well, I can only imagine how they must all be feeling. It's awful to be neglected like that, and then Voldemort comes along, promising you that you could have wealth, power, and a relatively normal life again, so long as you help him." Lily said quietly, sipping the tea Hagrid set in front of us. When you put it like that, it made sense. The amount of compassion she had was amazing.

"I think, as long as yeh know what's righ', yeh wouldn' join him. Remus will be fine, if yeh're thinkin' 'bout him." Hagrid said. She nodded sadly.

"I am." She said. "Wait, how'd you know about Remus?" She asked, her head snapping up. He laughed.

"I'm the one who planted the ruddy tree!" Hagrid laughed. "An' as staff here, I get ter know, especially since I'm closest ter him when he transforms."

"That makes sense." She said, shaking her head at her silliness.

"Congrats by the way, I saw the match from here." Hagrid added to me.

"Thanks." I grinned.

"Wild party tonigh'?" He guessed.

"Of course." I smirked. "Well, not too wild." I added, catching Lily's stern glare. Hagrid looked between the two of us and chuckled.

"I remember when yeh were sittin' here complainin' about him, an' now look at yeh!" He chuckled. "An' he never stopped goin' on about yeh!" Lily looked at each other and laughed. We all looked out the window, and suddenly the air felt heavy. "Things are gettin' crazy out there. I'm scared fer yeh." Hagrid told us. Lily found my hand under the table.

"We're scare for us, too." She whispered.

* * *

**A/N: Alright. 5,000 words. You all better be proud of me. And review.  
**

**I got in to Pottermore on Wednesday! I'm so happy :D**

**Also, I'm posting the start of a Lily-James story. The chapters are super short, the shortest being about 300, and the longest being 700, and there are 7. I'll be updating them along with this story every Friday.**

**Love,  
SAM :)  
**


	49. The Order of the Phoenix

_Recap: The last Quidditch Match, Gryffindor won. Conversation with Hagrid._

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Chapter 49: The Order of the Phoenix

"I don't think we could have picked a better day to be our second to last." Marlene said as we all sat down by our favorite tree near the lake. There was a murmur of agreement as the statement settled in our minds. She was right. We made it.

"I can't believe it. We survived." I said, voicing my thoughts. I sat between James' legs, and he pulled me into his chest, his back against the tree. Marlene and Alex were in a similar position and Remus, Sirius, and Peter were all sprawled out on the grass.

"The year passed so quickly, but I felt like it was painfully slow, too." James added as he laced his fingers through mine.

"Isn't every year like that?" Sirius asked. I found myself nodding in agreement.

"No, it was just this year." James said, frowning.

"It's because we didn't want to go home." I said quietly, directing that statement towards Sirius. I figured this out myself a few weeks ago. "And this year…" I didn't need to finish my statement; comprehension dawned on everyone's faces.

"Where _is_ home?" James said so quietly that I knew it was only meant for me. I looked up at him and our eyes met. I stroked his cheek with my free hand.

"I don't know." I murmured. His eyes looked so pained, darkened by the terrors of the past year. I put my arms around his torso and pressed my cheek to his chest. His grip around me tightened, almost painfully, and I knew he was struggling to hold back tears.

"You know, it was about two years ago, in this very area, where I feel like everything was starting to change." Sirius chirped in a light tone. I was grateful for his excellent timing. "I like to call it the beginning of the end."

"The end of what?" Remus asked, raising his head slightly to face Sirius.

"The end of Prongs' single life." Sirius grinned. James' chest vibrated as he let out an appreciative chuckle.

"Is there honestly a Giant Squid in there?" Peter asked. Immediately, everyone's heads turned to me.

"What?" I asked defensively.

"I figured you were well acquainted." Sirius shrugged, keeping a straight face. "Heard you two have a bit of -um- _history_." He winked. I rolled my eyes.

"No, I do not have any _history_ with anyone…or anything…" I added. "And I don't know if the Squid actually exists." I told Peter.

"Oh, wait, but you must've liked other people before James." Sirius said, looking at me gleefully. He had that mischievous glint in his eyes that always told me to run in the opposite direction as fast as I could. He, Remus, and Peter exchanged glances. They sat up at the exact same time, all of them with the same glint in their eyes. They were all thinking the same thing: Let's embarrass Lily.

"So, do tell us, Lily, who did you like before James?" Remus asked, feigning innocent as he looked at me. I looked to Marlene for help, and she only gave me a grin identical to theirs. I sighed.

"Fine." I muttered angrily.

"First year?" Sirius asked. There was a few that year.

"I only remember two legitimate crushes…and then there's…" I trailed off, only just remembering. How could I have forgotten? I thought James was actually cute. I'd been kind of excited that he was sitting in the same compartment I was in until he opened his mouth and started talking to Snape. I could tell he was a jerk from then. I blushed at the thought.

"Who is it Lily?" Peter asked, grinning widely.

"Okay, well there were these two fifth years, I didn't even know their names, but they were twins, and I thought they were cute, and at different times, obviously, I developed a crush on both of them." I admitted.

"Fifth year, eh?" Sirius asked cheekily.

"She likes the older ones." Remus grinned.

"Funny, Prongs, you're two months younger than her." Peter added, and all three started laughed.

"Are there any more?" Marlene asked, grinning. The three immediately stopped laughing and eagerly stared at me. I sighed.

"Alright, well, I-I…" I sighed. "I thought James was cute." I growled. Now, I had all of them laughing, including Alex and James.

"You thought I was cute?" James asked happily.

"Before you started insulting Snape." I corrected.

"Nice job mate, you _had_ to insult Snape." Sirius laughed.

"Yeah, who knows, you might've been together since first year." Remus added. I snorted. He was still a prat then. James shrugged.

"I'm fine with the way things worked out." He said, grinning at me. I smiled back and kissed his cheek.

"Second year?" Peter asked eagerly.

"I think it was Benjy Fenwick." I admitted.

"Entire year?" Marlene asked, raising her eyebrow. I nodded.

"We were friends, but we started drifting apart by the end of the year." I shrugged. He wasn't bad, it was the next few years I was dreading.

"He's not too bad. Trustworthy, and pretty funny, too." Remus said with a shrug. "What about third year?" He asked. He would be the one to ask. I turned red.

"It was you." I said, trying to muffle my voice by burying it in James' chest.

"It was me?" Remus asked, and by his voice, I could tell he was smirking. I nodded. Everyone started laughing besides me and James. My face turned redder with the noise. Once they stopped, I turned to face them again and they were all grinning, with the exception of James, who looked slightly confused, but slightly disturbed, too.

"Why?" He asked. I shrugged.

"I started talking to him because I liked him, and then as I got to know him better, I realized I didn't really like him anymore…well like _that_." I explained. James laughed.

"Who's after that?" James asked, now more amused than anything.

"Stewart Rosen, fourth year." I replied.

"Even after the ugly boils?" James groaned. I nodded.

"He still talked to me after that. Didn't run in the opposite direction like I thought he would." I shrugged. "Not bad for a Ravenclaw."

"Whenever James was nearby, he did." Peter corrected. I glared.

"Wait, didn't he ask you our in _third _year?" Alex asked. I nodded. Before I could ask how he knew, he explained, "No one's forgotten that incident." He grinned.

"Now, fifth year. Was there anyone before me?" James asked. This one was the worst. I gulped guiltily.

"Sirius." I growled.

"Yeah?" Sirius asked.

"No. _Sirius_." I stressed. Why were they putting me through this?

"Wait, are you telling us you liked…_him_?" James asked, pointing to Sirius. I hid my face in James' chest once more.

"I think we can take that as a yes." Remus grinned. Sirius started laughing louder and happier than I'd heard him in a long time, and I was momentarily happy for him, before James started talking.

"Him? Of all people!" James said, stroking my hair. "You had bad taste. Until I came along, at least." He gave me a cheeky grin. "But why him? Now I'm curious."

"He changed, and I could tell, everyone could. He was becoming less…well, he was becoming nicer I guess. He wasn't walking around like he was superior to everyone. I don't know, maybe it was my sub-conscious mind wishing it was you becoming like that, and it _was_ kind of indirectly you, even though I was telling myself it was him. I think I was just in denial and I don't think I honestly _did_ like _him_. I used him as a disguise for you." I explained.

"Wait, didn't Mary start going out with him?" Marlene asked.

"I think I stopped liking him when he, the _real _Sirius, hit on Mary once, and I suppose I realized what I was doing…and made some sort of a switch, I guess." Yeah, that sounded about right. Why was I so confused two years ago?

"A _good_ switch." James grinned. I rolled my eyes

"From that moment on, he was all hers and I think I told her I was 'happy with not liking anyone' but I obviously did." I shrugged, shaking my head at my denial. "And, if you don't remember, Sirius, you told her that her legs looked good in our uniform skirt."

"They do." Sirius said, nodding along and smiling funnily. I reached over and hit him.

"No fantasizing here!" I laughed.

"Save it for your bed." James added, snickering.

"We all know _you_ do." Peter grinned.

"I don't need to know." I cut in. Sirius opened his mouth again when I whacked him again. He smiled sheepishly at me, and I felt James freeze. I looked up at him questioningly.

"I think we've stalled enough." James said, glancing upwards. The sky was getting orange. By the look in everyone's eyes, I knew we were all on the same page.

"Let's go." I said. I was about to get up when James hugged me close to him and put his head on my shoulder. He let go of me, but put his hands in my hair and kissed me. He pulled away and stared at me so intensely that I blushed.

"Oi! Mr. No-Stalling! Come on!" Sirius barked. James reluctantly withdrew his hands and we stood up. We followed everyone else inside and I paid special attention to the castle, trying to commit every detail to memory. But with a castle like Hogwarts, it was a useless attempt. There was too much to see and marvel at in so little time. We reached Dumbledore's gargoyle far too soon.

"Lemon Drops." James and I said at the same time. We reached for each other's hands. His hand was a bit sweaty, and I knew mine was probably the same. We stepped on the stairs that automatically took us up. We stood in front of Dumbledore's door for a second before Remus raised his fist and knocked twice.

"Come in." Dumbledore said, and my heart sped up as the door opened. There were seven chairs in front of his desk. Was he expecting us? Or did he just… "Yes, I was expecting all of you." It took us a second to get over the shock, but when we did, James, Sirius, Remus, and I sat in the front row and Alex, Marlene, and Peter sat in the back. "I know why you're all here, but let's pretend I don't." Dumbledore said. No one spoke up, so they were probably still trying to understand what he meant.

"Professor," I started. "We came here today because James' parents, in the letter they left him, talked about an organization you formed, called the Order of the Phoenix." I paused. This was going a lot smoother than I thought it would, probably because he was expecting us to come. It made me feel more confident for some reason. "And we all want to join." He nodded, as though his suspicions were confirmed. "We all want to fight, we all want to do whatever we can to protect others. We don't want to wait until three years of Auror training before we can do anything _real_. We waited long enough. We're all pretty restless, and just want to do something as soon as we can." I said.

"I see. Anything else?" He asked, leaning forward, slowly examining all of us. He seemed satisfied with whatever he saw or was looking for. "Very well then. I should assure you that you can leave any time you want."

"For us to be able to leave…does that mean we're in?" Sirius asked, excitement apparent in his voice. Dumbledore smiled at him and nodded. This went far smoother than expected. I squeezed James' hand and grinned at everyone. We all had identical expression of happiness, but I could tell we were all apprehensive as well.

"Thank you, professor." I grinned. He shook his head.

"On the contrary, Miss Evans. The seven of you are incredibly brave, and quite admirable, for volunteering for such a dangerous task. Your willingness to help and fight is something most people don't have. We're going to be lucky to have seven wonderful additions to the Order. I know that you know what dangers you will be facing out there, because you've all faced such dangers in the security of this castle, of course on a smaller scale." Dumbledore said, looking at me specifically.

I did have an odd tendency to attract the Slytherins. We always seemed to find them where ever we went. But of course, so did James. Then again, he hadn't been the one knocked out for days because of a powerful _Sectumsempra_.

"When's the first meeting?" Sirius asked Dumbledore.

"It'll be July 15th, Frank and Alice Longbottom's house." He replied. I should've guessed Alice and Frank would be involved. "We'll have Alastor Moody train you all a little before you go out."

"Alastor Moody?" James asked excitedly, practically jumping out of his chair. "The Deputy Head Auror?" He was leaning forward with every word.

"Don't wet yourself, mate." Sirius murmured to him with a grin on his face. James ignored him and Dumbledore chuckled.

"Yes, James, Alastor Moody, Deputy Head Auror. I'm sure he'll like all of you. You're the first to come forth and ask to join, but I must confess, if you hadn't come to me today, I was planning on asking all of you tomorrow." Dumbledore said.

"All of us?" Alex asked.

"Yes, Mr. McKinnon, I am quite aware you two exist." Dumbledore said, smiling slightly at them. I turned around slightly and caught their cheeks turning pink. "Now, we'll have plenty of time to chat in the coming months." We took that as an invitation to leave, and stood up. "My, it feels like it was only yesterday when you all entered the castle." He said. "You were all so mischievous, and before you started classes, you were in the negatives, before Miss Evans brought up your points by answering questions in class. And now, you've won the House Cup in addition to your Quidditch Cup. You're so ahead that there's no way any of the other houses can catch up. That's why I'm awarding it tonight." He said, smiling at us proudly. I knew Sirius was taking it as a personal challenge. I glared at him, and Remus, James, and Peter did, too. Dumbledore laughed. "Your friends know you too well."

"Fine, I won't do anything." Sirius grumbled.

"See you all at the feast. I trust you'll be saving your prank for tomorrow?" He addressed this question to the Marauders. They all grinned and nodded.

"Bye, professor." I said and we left his office.

"That went smoother than expected." Marlene said happily.

"It's Dumbledore. I figured he'd have _some_ idea." Remus shrugged. It didn't matter now, we were all officially in. We were going to fight.

"Back to the Common Room?" Sirius asked.

"Sure." I said, and we made a turn to go there. We were about to make a second turn when I heard something behind a closed door. It sounded like hushed whispers. I stopped, causing James to stop, too. I let go of his hand and walked towards the door and cautiously pressed my ear against it. James opened his mouth to say something, but I quieted him with a finger on my lips. I couldn't catch much, or who was talking. All I heard was "few", "letter", "join", "honor", and "protection." Suddenly, it all went quiet, and I felt a cold chill run through my body. I brought my wand out and muttered the first spell that came to mind: _Protego_. Just as I did, I saw the door burst open in an explosion. That would have painfully thrown me into the stone wall behind me, if I hadn't put the shield charm up.

"Lily!" I heard James cry.

"I'm fine." I called back through the dust, coughing slightly. "Shield Charm." I explained. The dust started clearing, and I entered the room, but there was no one there. I frowned and looked around for any clue that would indicate who was here.

"Slytherins, no doubt about that, who else would _blast_ open the door?" Sirius muttered darkly. Suddenly, everything pieced together in my mind, and I knew what they were talking about. "Head dorm. Hurry. I think I figured something out." I called as I practically ran out of the room. I weaved through the students and breathless, I told our portrait the password. The other six quickly followed.

"You're fast." Remus said, appearing behind me, also breathless. I sat down on my favorite couch opposite the fire. James sat down on one side of me, and Sirius on the other. Remus and Peter settled down on the ground in front of us, and Alex and Marlene sat in the other chair.

"What'd you hear?" Marlene asked.

"I could only catch a few words, but I heard 'few', 'join', 'letters', 'protection', and honor." I said. I only got blank stares. "And they're Slytherins…."I prompted, hoping that a light would go off. Nothing. I sighed, kind of crestfallen.

"Sorry?" Peter apologized, exchanging an unsure glance with Remus.

"Don't you get it? It's a letter to join the Death Eaters! Whoever was in that room got invitations to join them! It's supposed to be an honor, and they get protection once they get out of here!" I said excitedly. They all took a moment to let it sink in. "And they probably could tell someone was listening through the door, that's why they blasted it open! And then took advantage of the dust to run off. And it's not safe to talk about it in the Common Room, so they chose an abandoned classroom." I explained.

"That actually makes sense." Remus said.

"There are Hogwarts students, junior Death Eaters, who aren't exactly 'junior' anymore." Marlene said fearfully. "That's awful." She shook her head.

"But once you get a letter to join, it'd be difficult to refuse, won't it?" Sirius said, frowning.

"Why?" Alex asked.

"He'd kill you, wouldn't he?" Peter said, and Sirius nodded in affirmation.

"I kinda feel bad for them. I said softly. It's like the have no choice, you know? Not _all _of them are bad. I mean, they're Slytherins. Most of them are too scared of death to do the right thing." I shrugged, thinking of Snape. James seemed to know where my thoughts were and rubbed my arm comfortingly.

"That stupid and disgusting." Sirius spat. I knew he was thinking of Regulus, who, in a few years, would be going there, too.

"Some of them are like that." I said sadly.

* * *

**A/N: So, this is the second to last chapter. Difficult to write. :( Next week is going to be the last chapter. I committed myself to this story for the last year, and I'm really proud of how it turned out. **

**I'll save the thank-you's for next chapter, but I can't believe how close we are to 400. **

**Pottermore's been on my mind for days, and I'm so excited! I can't wait to see which house I'd really be sorted in! I've had different results: Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor. What house do you think you'll be in? **

**Until next week,**

**Love,  
SAM :)  
**


	50. Goodbye, Hogwarts

_Recap: They talk to Dumbledore about the Order, they win the House Cup_

* * *

Chapter 50: Goodbye, Hogwarts

I sat on the edge of my bed, and looked around. The room was completely empty. I knew if I'd forgotten anything, I could easily summon it. But instead, I'd checked every corner for the purpose of wanting to remember everything, or as much as I could. I was going to miss this place. I walked out my room and went to James' room. He wasn't done yet.

"You're done already?" He asked with an exasperated sigh and messed up his hair even more as he tried to search from something.

"Yes, James," I laughed. "You're a wizard, remember? You can fold these magically. You can get everything in your trunk magically? You can summon things magically." I reminded him, waving my own wand around. His toothbrush flew out of the bathroom and fell neatly onto his trunk. He stopped.

"Oh yeah." He picked up his wand and started waving it around and muttering spells. I walked over to his desk and sat on it, running my hand across it. It wasn't nearly as worn out as the one in my room, but I suppose the girls always worked harder in school. "I'm done." He said, turning around. He walked towards me and put his hands around my waist. "You're sitting on my desk, and I'm still taller than you." He laughed.

"Your desk is short." I argued. He grinned and kissed me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. He started trailing kisses down from my jaw to my neck and I whimpered in pleasure. I felt him smirk, so I retaliated by wrapping my legs around his torso. It affected him as intended, because he stopped smirking. I giggled a little and he looked at me, trying not to smile, but the corners of his mouth kept turning upward.

"Honestly, what is wrong with you two? Just sleep together already!" Sirius said from the door way. I rolled my eyes and jumped down from the desk. I took out my wand.

"_Locomotor Mortis_." I said before he could do anything. "_Accio Sirius' wand_." I added, before he could take it out and undo it himself. He gaped at me. I smiled back sweetly. "Come Sirius, it's time for lunch!"

"I can't move." He said, gesturing his legs.

"Of course you can, silly!" I laughed. "You'll just fall flat on your face!" James laughed and put an arm around my waist.

"Honestly, we should have made _you _a Marauder." He said.

"No, this is _your _influence. You've changed me." I said dramatically, looking between Sirius and James. I levitated Sirius into the air and I walked him down the stairs, with him floating next to me. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"You know, this isn't working, because I happen to find this fun." Sirius huffed.

"Do you?" I said, smiling evilly.

"She's in complete control of you, I wouldn't push it." James laughed. We left the portrait hole and I "accidentally" hit Sirius against the sides of the hole. Sirius let out a string of curses and started rubbing his head. Remus was outside the portrait, and he tilted his head when he saw Sirius.

"Oh, er…. Hello." Remus said distractedly, watching Sirius.

"Come on, lunch?" I said, leading the way.

"You're being mean." Sirius said.

"You're a prat." I countered. He stuck his tongue out at me. We got stares from students as we passed, but some looked more concerned than anything.

"Do I want to know?" Marlene asked, coming to us, and watching Sirius with a wary eye.

"I told her that she and James should hurry it up and sleep together." Sirius said smugly. I scowled at him.

"I'll talk to you later." I muttered to Marlene, and kept walking, with Sirius still hovering two feet off the ground.

"You're Head Girl, you're not supposed to be doing this!" Sirius reminded me.

"Shut it, it's our last day. They're not going to strip me of my badge." I scoffed. He frowned at me.

"Put me down?" He tried again, going for a politer approach. I shook my head. We reached the Great Hall, and some of the students started laughing when they saw Sirius. I ignored them and kept walking. I sat down at the table and kept Sirius levitated next to me. The rest of the Marauders joined us with an amused smile across all of their faces.

"This is mean." He crossed his arms. "I can't even eat any of this, and here it is, _mocking _me." He said, almost spitting. I pushed him closer to the food, which only caused him to scowl at me. I smiled sweetly back at him.

"Miss Evans…why are you…?" McGonagall said from behind me, looking as confused as Remus was.

"SAVE ME!" Sirius bellowed, and McGonagall flinched.

"Stop being so dramatic." I laughed, setting him down on the ground. I put my wand away, where I still had Sirius'. He tried to move forward to sit, but he fell flat on his face. McGonagall chuckled.

"May I, Miss Evans?" She asked. I nodded. She waved her wand and Sirius' legs were unlocked.

"Thank you!" He shouted again, and crawled from his position on the ground towards McGonagall and clutched her legs.

"Mr. Black! Please get off me." She said sternly. Sirius jumped up and brushed himself off.

"YES SIR!" He saluted her and sat down at the table. When she was out of earshot, he said, "That's not what she was telling me last night." He winked. I hit him over the head before getting some pie.

* * *

"Such a glorious afternoon, isn't it?" Marlene asked, spinning around with her arms out wide. We all decided to go for a walk.

"I could think of ways it could be better." I grumbled, remembering that I'd have to leave the castle today.

"Oh, lighten up." Remus said, nudging my side. I sighed.

"Sorry. It's emotional." I shrugged.

"It's okay, _those_ three will probably be crying their eyes out on the way back." Sirius chuckled.

"No we won't!" Remus protested.

"Anyway, rumors are flying, you know." Marlene said, giving me a smug grin.

"About what?" I asked fearfully. Nothing good could come out of rumors.

"The usual stuff, like who's going where, who's not coming back next year, that stuff. But I heard a group of sixth year Gryffindors talking about some rumor seventh year Ravenclaws were talking about." Marlene said mysteriously. By the look on her face, I could tell it was a pretty stupid rumor, something only idiots would actually believe. "They've decided that there's a Sirius-Lily-James love triangle." She said finally, holding in her laughter. I rolled my eyes.

"Is there, now?" I asked sarcastically. "Well, do enlighten me. Tell me about my love life."

"They're saying that Sirius secretly fell in love with Lily while James was already in love with you, but Sirius, being the, I believe they used "noble", man he is, he let James have you. And then that's apparently why he stopped dating, because the pain of your silent rejection was too much for him." She put her hands over her heart. "And now, apparently, Sirius has finally told you about his undying love for you, and you're secretly going out with him, too." Marlene finished, grinning.

"Oh, that's definitely plausible. Hey, Sirius, want to go elope to France tomorrow?" I asked, turning to him.

"Anything for you my love!" Sirius said, getting to his knees on the ground and putting his hands over his heart. James kicked him in the side of the leg.

"My question is, why would they describe him as noble?" James snickered. "We all know he's everything but." Sirius stood up and whacked him over the head.

"I am noble!" He huffed, causing laughter from all of us.

"But honestly, the things people come up with these days." Alex rolled his eyes.

"They just need some drama, really. Nothing interesting's happened in months." Remus shrugged.

"They need to find new people to spin stories about." I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

"To them, you're the only interesting ones. I mean, your story's practically a soap opera. You've got the guy who falls in love with the girl, but girl hates guy, girl finally realizes that she loves guy, and they live happily ever after." Marlene pointed out.

"So where do I fit into this?" Sirius asked, grinning.

"Now, you're the complication that they want. The guy who's obviously in love with his best mate's girlfriend." Marlene laughed. "The dark, looming, troublemaker with the tender heart."

"That spells soap opera." Remus agreed.

"Don't people have other things to worry about? Like, I don't know, their _own _lives? I mean, instead of babbling about other people's love lives, they need to get one themselves! It's crazy." I complained.

"Calm down, we're out of here in a few hours." Sirius laughed. I frowned.

"Thanks for reminding me." I said dryly, and crinkled my nose.

"Way to go." I heard Peter mutter to Sirius. And I heard a _thump_, which could only mean that Sirius retaliated by hitting Peter.

"Yeah, but what I'm _trying _to say is, that there are going to be some things here you're not going to miss. Like this whole gossiping business. We all know there are more important things to talk about in the world than this, so you won't have to deal with that anymore." Sirius pointed out.

"He's saying something intelligent!" Remus gasped. I laughed a little, and realized I couldn't be happier that I'd be leaving Hogwarts with my closest friends. I was glad my circle of friends expanded from its previous, almost non-existent state. Of course, this was all because of James Potter. He turned my life upside down and backwards two years ago, and since then, life has gotten so much better.

* * *

"Come on!" I said, dragging James down to the dungeons. We were visiting Slughorn, but naturally, he didn't want to. I just wanted to give Slughorn my present, and then we'd be out of there.

"Why do you bother giving him a present, anyway?" He grumbled.

"Because he's my favorite teacher." I told him for the millionth time. "Now hurry up. We told them we'd be back in the Kitchens soon."

"Alright." He said, quickening his pace, and overtaking me. He held the door to Slughorn's classroom open. It looked a lot emptier and cleaner than I'd ever seen it.

"Professor?" I called out, quietly stepping in. In a matter of seconds, Slughorn was out of his office and started walking down his steps.

"Lily! So nice of you to come!" He boomed, his voice filling the empty room.

"This is for you, professor." I said, smiling at him, holding out the crystallized pineapple, and the expensive wine I'd gotten from Rosemerta earlier.

"Why, thank you!" He said, happily. "Still don't want to teach? So I can go into happy retirement?" He asked hopefully. I shook my head and grinned.

"Sorry professor." I shrugged apologetically.

"Well, I'll miss you, dear. I haven't seen such fine potion-making in years! Of course, very few have the natural talent." Slughorn told me, putting the crystallized pineapple and the wine on his desk.

"Thank you professor." I said politely. "I'll see you at the feast." I added, and left with one last wave.

"He looked like he was going to cry." James muttered, rolling his eyes.

"You're just annoyed that he didn't acknowledge you." I teased, grinning.

"I am not!" He said stubbornly, crossing his arms over his chest. I chuckled.

"Whatever you say…" I muttered, playfully shoving him. He backed me up against a wall and opened his mouth to say something. Suddenly, I heard whispering voices from the classroom next to me. I wiggled out of James' grip, and casted _Protego _around both of us, and put a finger to my lips. I pressed my ear against the door.

"…the _Dark Lord_." The first voice, too quiet for me to identify, said. "You're going to be killed."

"I don't know." The second voiced said, also barely above a whisper and one of them started knocking the desks around.

"People would _kill _for a chance like this!" The first voice argued, only slightly louder than previously. My eyes widened. My conjecture from yesterday was right. I put down the shield charm, dragged James away, and walked as fast as I could back to the Kitchens.

"What'd you hear?" James asked.

"I was right. Yesterday. I was right." I said, almost out of breath. We got to the Kitchens quickly, and I opened it. I scrambled inside, and Remus, Peter, Sirius, Alex, and Marlene were laughing, and Misty was nearby.

"What happened? You look like you just ran here." Marlene said, her smile quickly wiped from her face. I quickly recounted the story.

"Yesterday. I was right. I can't believe it. He's actually recruiting Hogwarts graduates. He's actually getting eighteen-year-olds to run around and kill and torture people." I said, starting to pace.

"And from what you said, it seems as though they _are _too scared to say no." Remus said, frowning.

"Of course they are. People who anger the Death Eaters or Voldemort himself aren't going to stay alive." James shrugged.

"They're too young to be doing those types of things, though, it's insanity. It's like he's trying to take over as many people as he can. You know, the Slytherins mostly go into the Ministry when they leave here. They get high government positions. Do you think Voldemort's maybe trying to take over the Ministry through the graduating Slytherins?" I asked, suddenly stopping.

"Maybe…but how far can he get? We still have Dumbledore." Sirius pointed out.

"That's true. I suppose as long as Dumbledore's around, we're all safe." I shrugged.

"Yes, we're all safe, even though we'll be risking our lives every day with the Order." Peter said sarcastically, grinning. We let ourselves laughed to relieve the tension. I sat down next to James.

"Misty, do you have any firewhiskey here?" Sirius asked her. She let out a small laugh and opened a cupboard. She took out a large bottle, and set it on the table in front of us with a large _clunk_. She gave us a few glasses. Sirius poured some out to all of us, and raised his glass. "To the Order."

"To the Order." We said in unison, and drank it all. I let the liquid burn the sides of my throat.

"Lily, do you want to go near the lake?" James asked, getting up.

"Sure." I replied, shrugging. We quickly got up and left the Kitchen. He put an arm around my waist as we walked. He didn't say anything; he was just looking straight ahead towards the lake. There were so many seventh years running around the castle, probably trying to round up lost belongings. I really hoped that the Order would bring us back here some day. Perhaps we'd be lucky enough to have to patrol in the castle or outside of it.

"We should be quick; it's almost time for dinner." He said, quickening his pace in front of me as we stepped outside. I followed him, wondering why he seemed to be in such a hurry. He couldn't be that excited for the feast. We reached the tree, and he turned to face me.

* * *

_He watched from the distance, in the shadows, close enough to hear them and see them, but not close enough that they'd notice. The black-haired boy got down on one knee and took hold of the girl's hand. The pale boy watching gasped softly and his eyes widened._

_"Lily, I've loved you for the last seven years of my life, and the last two with you have been amazing. You've helped me through so much, and I can't imagine my life without you. A day without you is like a day wasted. You've always been the constant throughout my Hogwarts years, but now, as we go into the real world, I want you to be a constant there, too. I want you to officially become a permanent part of my life. Will you marry me?" The black-haired boy brought out a large ring. The pale boy watched and gasped quietly. He held his breath as he waited for her answer._

_"Yes!" She screamed loudly, her voice piercing his heart. His fists turned into balls and his throat went dry. The pale boy felt his heart break right in front of his eyes. As the black-haired boy spun the red haired girl around, and put the wretched ring on her finger, the pale boy watched on with envy. A salty tear dripped down his over-sized nose and into his gaping mouth. He glanced at the letter he had gotten a while ago, the reason he was out here in the first place. It was a request to join, a chance many of his friends would kill for. He took a look at the sickeningly happy couple and his stomach turned. Another tear ran down his cheek. He scribbled down 3 letters on the piece of parchment, and sent it off, anger and hate boiling inside of him._

* * *

**A/N: Yep. Last chapter. Still hasn't hit me yet. **

**I'd like to thank everyone who's reviewed, especially those of you who reviewed every single chapter, and you know who you are!  
Thank you to every last person who's read this, favorited, alerted, everything.  
This story would not have made it 50 chapters, over a year, without all of you.**

**I've also changed the story's rating back to T, because many of you have said that it shouldn't be M.**

**Love,**

**SAM :)**


	51. NOT A NEW CHAPTER AN UPDATE ON SAM

Hi everyone!

SO it's been like two years since I wrote _James Potter_ and something like a year since I've stopped writing fanfiction...

I still get reviews on my stories, which is really surprising, but it also means that people are still interested.

I don't write fiction anymore, but I do keep a blog now, and I thought I'd let whoever may still be interested in some form of my writing know.

FanFiction refuses to let me post the link, but you can find it on my profile, at the very bottom (for some reason it lets me post it there without a problem).**  
**

Love,  
SAM :)


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